This recipe introduces a “Simple Stir-Fry” technique called “清炒” (qīng chǎo). It can be used not only to stir-fry lettuce but also many other green vegetables such as baby bok choy, cabbage, asparagus, spinach, or snow peas. For firmer vegetables with blanching technique, please see Stir-Fried Green Beans for an example.
The first time I saw a salad bar in the States was my first experience with culture shock. A full plate of raw vegetables? Is that really edible? Us Chinese always cooked our veggies! Despite my confusion, I specifically noticed the lettuce laying in salad bar. Back then, I rarely found vegetables I was familiar with in American supermarkets — there was no bok choy or tofu. My auntie in Virginia grew bean sprouts herself. As a student living on a minimal scholarship, I found the price of the lettuce appealing — so I set forth on an adventure of stir-frying the economical lettuce found on the Western salad plates.
Is lettuce “stir-fry-able”? I heated up a fry pan, swirled in oil and garlic, and gave the lettuce a quick stir with a little of salt for a couple of minutes. To my surprise, the lettuce came out nice and crispy. This method gave tasteless lettuce some character! Since then, it has become an indispensable approach for a variety of green leafy vegetables when I need to pull together a quick side dish! It was not until many years later I learned from Grace Young’s Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge
As my love for Western salads grew over the years, I continued appreciating the simple Chinese stir-fry method. One of the blessings as an immigrant is that you get to explore different cultures, and learn, bridge, mix, and enjoy them all!
Lanterns in St Annes Square, Manchester, for the Chinese New Year by Gidzy (CC BY)
Stir-Fried Lettuce with Garlic (蒜香萵苣)
Is lettuce "stir-fry-able"? Yes, but not all lettuces are created equal using a wok. The firmer and crispier lettuces that can sustain heat (romaine or iceberg) have an edge over their softer and more tender counterparts.
The "Simple Stir-Fry" (清炒 qīng chǎo) technique uses only a single main ingredient with minimal seasoning. This recipe introduces a minimal version that uses only garlic and a Cantonese style adopted from Grace Young's book that adds extra flavors. Both romaine and iceberg will be demonstrated. The steps are the same but only the cutting and the cooking time have slight differences.
Ingredients
- lettuce - 1 medium head of iceberg or romaine, about 1 pound
- cooking oil - 2 tablespoons
- garlic - 3 cloves, smashed and peeled
- salt - to taste, about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon
- water - or chicken broth, 1/4 cup
- pepper - white pepper. Optional. Alternate: black pepper.
Instructions
Simple Stir-Fry (清炒" qīng chǎo) Method
Video is also provided at the top of this article to demonstrate the steps.
- Smash and peel garlic cloves. A quick way is to take the blade of a cleaver to smash the garlic [see video at 0:04]. You can also use the blade of any good size knife and press hard against the garlic.
- Core iceberg and tear the leaves into 3 to 4-inch wide pieces. You can slam the core of the iceberg against a table and pull the core out quickly (although a bit violent 🙂 [0:10]. If you use romaine, cut crosswise into 1-inch wide pieces.
- Wash and drain lettuce. Dry lettuce thoroughly to avoid splatters when stir-frying. You can use paper towels or, more effectively, a salad spinner. [0:28]
- Heat wok or a large skillet over high heat until a droplet of water sizzles and evaporates instantly within contact. [0:32]
- When hot, add cooking oil and garlic. Stir-fry for about 10 seconds or until parts of garlic get lightly brown and fragrant. [0:37]
- Add lettuce. Sprinkle on the salt and, optionally, white pepper. Stir-fry for a minute or until lettuce softens slightly. [0:42]
- Add water or broth, and cover the wok and let the lettuce steam for about 15 to 30 seconds. [0:49].
- Uncover and stir-fry 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the lettuce is wilted but still crispy. Romaine is firmer and will take a bit longer than iceberg. [0:53]
- Remove from the heat and serve immediately. [0:57]
Cantonese Style - adopted from Grace Young's Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge
- Before all the steps listed above, make a soy sauce mixture in a small bowl using 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of chicken broth, and 2 tablespoons of rice wine or dry sherry. Set aside.
- In step 6, use the soy sauce mixture in place of the water or broth.
- If you like additional flavor, add sliced scallions or jalapeno chili along with garlic in step 5.
Shown below is romaine lettuce stir-fried using the Cantonese method:
Allergens
