Unlock broccoli's potential with a crispy, umami twist

Chinese chefs have been perfecting the technique of preparing vegetables for years to make them maximally aromatic, crispy, and full of umami. On the popular YouTube channel Made With Lau, run by a Chinese-American family of chefs, a recipe has appeared that completely changes the way we look at cooking broccoli.

Cooking broccoli seems simple—after all, it's just a vegetable that needs to be thrown into boiling water or steamed for a while. However, this simplicity hides a trap. Broccoli is delicate, and its structure is very sensitive to temperature and cooking time. Cooking it for too long makes it lose its vibrant green colour, become soft, watery, and even mushy—and with the texture, it also loses its flavour. Conversely, cooking it for too short a time can make it hard and raw inside, which bothers many people. Additionally, if cooked in water without adding salt or fat, it becomes bland, and its natural aroma quickly dissipates.

The problem is also that many people treat broccoli as an "extra vegetable"—they don't pay as much attention to it as to the meat or sauce. Meanwhile, to bring out the best in it, it needs appropriate treatment: quick, controlled, and thoughtful. That's why the Chinese method, based on quick blanching and fast frying, makes such a difference—it restores broccoli's natural strengths: crispiness, intense flavour, and full nutritional value.

Cooking broccoli doesn't have to mean boring, overcooked, bland vegetables. Thanks to a method inspired by Chinese cuisine—blanching and quick stir-fry—broccoli gains a completely new dimension: it remains crispy, intensely green, full of aroma, and umami flavour.

Ingredients:

      
• 1 medium broccoli,
• 4 cloves of garlic,
• 2 slices of ginger,
• cooking oil (sesame or canola).

Ingredients for the sauce:

              
• ½ teaspoon of salt,
• 1 teaspoon of sugar,
• 1 tablespoon of vinegar,
• ½ teaspoon of seasoning mix (or powdered broth),
• 2 teaspoons of potato or corn starch,
• 2 tablespoons of water,
• 1 teaspoon of fish sauce or soy sauce,
• ½ teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice (originally: light cooking wine)

Instructions:

            
1. Place the broccoli in a bowl with salted water and let it sit for 5 minutes, then cut off and set aside the stem.
2. Divide the broccoli into smaller florets; peel and slice the stem into slices.
3. Bring water to a boil in a large pot, toss in the broccoli, and blanch for 30 seconds.
4. Transfer the broccoli to a bowl with cold water and ice, leave for a moment, then drain thoroughly.
5. In a small bowl, mix all the sauce ingredients, and finely chop the garlic.
6. Slice the ginger thinly, and heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan or wok. Toss in the garlic and ginger, fry for 30 seconds until they start to smell, add the drained broccoli, and stir vigorously for 1–2 minutes.
7. Gradually pour in the sauce and keep stirring. Cook for about 1 more minute until the broccoli is covered with a glossy layer of sauce, and finally add a bit of oil to enhance the shine.