Smoky Stir-Fried Greens Recipe (2024)

Actually, salt makes a couple of appearances in this recipe. With the water when boiling the veggies, and then again in the glaze/sauce (an amount equal to the sugar).I did a version of this sans a blowtorch (don't own one). With skepticism about the sauce (how can just sugar salt cornstarch slurry do it? But I went with it). Added oyster mushrooms to the greens and tossed the veggies with handcut Korean wheat noodles cooked up and tossed lightly with sesame oil. It. Was. Phenomenal.

Hi Kenji,I also watched the video for this and I’m surprised there’s no salt or soy sauce in this. Is that intentional? The sweetness balances the spice of dishes like maps tofu great, but still seems like it needs a pinch of salt or a teaspoon of soy?

If, like me, you find the torching-while-stir-frying technique intimidating and/or seeming to require three hands, the workaround in the article is here:"To simplify things, I’ve found that transferring the stir-fried food to a rimmed baking sheet, spreading it in a single layer, and giving it a few leisurely passes."Perhaps placing the pan as close to a broiler as possible would work as well.

Made as directed, just fantastic. Next time I will dry the bok choy with paper towels, the salad spinner didn't get the greens quite dry enough, but still came out great.

These greens have changed my life. I don’t want bok choy any other way now. That smokiness really adds a punch. I will definitely make this recipe again.

What am I missing? There are so many steps, all of them seconds long, in this recipe that there is no time to keep checking it. Therefore, anyone who hasn't got it memorized will not be able to cook it. In the calmest of circ*mstances, it might be possible to pull it off, but certainly it's doomed on Thanksgiving Day. I'm picturing all the guests buzzing around the kitchen trying to be helpful. Some of them might not survive very long.

This was a little disappointing. We often make bok choy with ginger and garlic prepared in the method used here, but the addition of the corn starch slurry made it quite flavorless, and frankly a little slimy. The blow torch was pretty fun, and we will add to our kitchen tools!

Using tongs, hold clumps of baby bok choy by the base of leaves, plunge only the crunchy stems into boiling water for 15 seconds, take out and plunge stems in icy water. Keeps better consistent texture and nutrients.

What is meant by "2 inch" pieces of bok choi? Is that 2" squares, or strips lengthwise?

I don't have a blowtorch and don't want one more thing in my kitchen. I got a decently smoky flavor by using a little less oil and turning up the flame very high on my gas range so that my wok got REALLY hot. I then stir-fried until the vegetables were singed, which was probably easier for me to see on the veggies I had on hand: green cabbage (which I did parboil for 20 seconds). The result was very good. Served it with the glazed tofu https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022167

Mmmm. Good excuse to use the blowtorch! Easy lunch with an egg on top.

Brilliant. I've been trying to replicate this slightly watery / garlic / charred flavour for literally years. A drizzle of oyster sauce and it's exactly what they serve (or used to serve!) at Marigold in Sydney.

Salt does make a couple of appearances but only in the directions, and not in the list of ingredients. I feel this should be corrected.

What am I missing? There are so many steps, all of them seconds long, in this recipe that there is no time to keep checking it. Therefore, anyone who hasn't got it memorized will not be able to cook it. In the calmest of circ*mstances, it might be possible to pull it off, but certainly it's doomed on Thanksgiving Day. I'm picturing all the guests buzzing around the kitchen trying to be helpful. Some of them might not survive very long.

Thank you Kenji! I now have a vast number of wok recipes I can replicate on my induction stove cook top using my butane culinary torch.

If, like me, you find the torching-while-stir-frying technique intimidating and/or seeming to require three hands, the workaround in the article is here:"To simplify things, I’ve found that transferring the stir-fried food to a rimmed baking sheet, spreading it in a single layer, and giving it a few leisurely passes."Perhaps placing the pan as close to a broiler as possible would work as well.

Made as directed, just fantastic. Next time I will dry the bok choy with paper towels, the salad spinner didn't get the greens quite dry enough, but still came out great.

These greens have changed my life. I don’t want bok choy any other way now. That smokiness really adds a punch. I will definitely make this recipe again.

This was a little disappointing. We often make bok choy with ginger and garlic prepared in the method used here, but the addition of the corn starch slurry made it quite flavorless, and frankly a little slimy. The blow torch was pretty fun, and we will add to our kitchen tools!

Actually, salt makes a couple of appearances in this recipe. With the water when boiling the veggies, and then again in the glaze/sauce (an amount equal to the sugar).I did a version of this sans a blowtorch (don't own one). With skepticism about the sauce (how can just sugar salt cornstarch slurry do it? But I went with it). Added oyster mushrooms to the greens and tossed the veggies with handcut Korean wheat noodles cooked up and tossed lightly with sesame oil. It. Was. Phenomenal.

I LOVE the idea of this, and am looking for an alternative to the blowtorch. Any ideas? Or is this simple recipe gonna be my excuse to buy one? ;-)

Hi Kenji,I also watched the video for this and I’m surprised there’s no salt or soy sauce in this. Is that intentional? The sweetness balances the spice of dishes like maps tofu great, but still seems like it needs a pinch of salt or a teaspoon of soy?