Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish or tapa
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 bunches gai lan (Chinese broccoli, about 2 pounds)
¾ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 lemon, halved
Directions:
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the garlic and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until the garlic has turned lightly golden. Remove from heat and remove the garlic with a slotted spoon, allowing it to drain on paper towels. Leave the garlic-infused oil in the skillet and set aside for later use.
- Separate the leaves from the stalks of the gai lan. Roughly chop the leaves and slice the stalks into ¼-inch pieces. Heat the skillet with the garlic-infused oil over medium heat. Add the gai lan stalks and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until just tender. Add the gai lan leaves and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, until the leaves are wilted and tender.
- Stir in the salt, pepper, raisins and pine nuts and remove from the heat. Drizzle with the juice from half the lemon and taste for seasoning. Drizzle with a little olive oil and garnish with the crispy garlic and a lemon wedge.
— Laura McLively, “The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook” (Parallax Press, $35)
