Pea microgreens stir-fried with garlic in a wok in a minute and a half: a Chinese side for rice where the leaves soften and the stems stay crisp.
INGREDIENTS
- 200 g - pea microgreens, 4-5 in (10-12 cm) shoots
- 4 clove - garlic
- 1 1/2 tbsp - refined sunflower or peanut oil
- 1/2 tsp - salt
- pinch of sugar
- 1 tbsp - Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry (optional)
STEPS
- Rinse the pea microgreens and dry them thoroughly in a salad spinner or on a towel. Cut long shoots in half.
- Slice the garlic thin. Set the salt, sugar, and wine next to the stove: from here everything takes seconds.
- Heat the wok over the highest heat until it just starts to smoke. Add the oil, swirl to coat, and add the garlic for 15-20 seconds, until fragrant but not yet browning.
- Add all the pea microgreens, the salt, and the sugar, and toss with a spatula for 40-60 seconds, until the leaves are half wilted.
- Pour the wine down the side of the wok, toss for 20 seconds more, and transfer to a plate right away.
Pea Microgreens in the Wok
In Chinese cooking, pea shoots stir-fried with garlic are a classic vegetable side for rice. Pea microgreens are the best microgreens for the job: sweet, crunchy, and able to take a short blast of heat. After a minute in the wok the leaves soften, the stems stay crisp, and the garlic brings the aroma.
For stir-frying, pick taller shoots, 4-5 in (10-12 cm), with tendrils. Save the shortest, most tender microgreens for salads.
About the Ingredients
Pea microgreens: 200 g for two side servings. They shrink by about two thirds in the wok, so the pile on the board looks bigger than you need.
Oil: refined sunflower or peanut oil, which won’t smoke over high heat. Unrefined oil burns and turns bitter at this temperature.
Garlic: slice it thin. Slices release their aroma without scorching in the 15 seconds before the greens go in.
Shaoxing rice wine is optional. Dry sherry or 1 tbsp water works instead.
Technique: High Heat, Two Minutes
Heat the wok until it just starts to smoke, and only then add the oil. The whole dish takes a minute and a half, so have everything sliced and measured before you start. No wok? Use your largest skillet and cook in two batches: in a crowded pan the peas release their juices and steam instead of searing.
Variations
- With ginger: 1 tsp ginger matchsticks together with the garlic.
- With oyster sauce: 1 tbsp at the end instead of salt.
- In broth: sauté the garlic, add 200 ml chicken broth, bring to a boil, and warm the pea shoots in it for 1 minute.
- With egg: scramble 2 beaten eggs separately into soft curds and fold them into the finished greens.
Serving and Storage
Serve right away, with rice, steamed fish, or chicken. Stir-fried pea shoots release liquid and darken within 10 minutes, so cook them last, when everything else is already on the table. Keep raw pea microgreens in a closed container in the fridge until cooking: microgreen shelf life by crop.
Raw pea microgreens in a different role: pea microgreen pesto.
CHEF'S TIPS
The pea shoots must be dry: water on the leaves kills the heat, and you end up steaming instead of stir-frying.
Take them off the heat while some stems are still firm: they finish on the plate. If every stem has gone soft, the dish is overcooked and will weep liquid.
