Chinese Cabbage with Cashews
Farmer John sent back big beautiful full heads of Chinese cabbage, about 2 ½ feet tall. Not just 1 or2 but 8 heads of it! Its’ so big he sent it back in a trash bag! Needless to say I had lots of cabbage to experiment with to get a recipe right. I know in the past I stir fried it, but couldn’t remember which sauce I used. I started by using garlic, ginger and some red pepper flakes; you can’t forget a touch of heat. At first I tried Hosin Sauce and that wasn’t quite what I was looking for. The next batch I tried with Oyster Sauce and that was it, a perfect merriment of flavors. Finally, I topped it with roasted cashews. Don’t just think of this recipe when you’re making an Asian themed meal; this makes a perfect side for any roasted meat or fish. Greens are in season right now and the added cashews give it a nice crunch.
Chinese Cabbage with Cashews
2 teaspoon vegetable oil
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 ½ pounds Chinese cabbage, slice into ½ pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 Tablespoons)
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
1/3 cup roasted cashews
Heat oil in a wok or large sauté pan until hot, add red pepper flakes, garlic and ginger stir fry for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add cabbage, sauté for 1-2 minutes, lower heat add a splash of broth or water if needed. By adding the water it will help steam and not brown it. Cook until tender crisp, tossing every minute or two. Add oyster sauce & a few grinds of black pepper, toss until thoroughly incorporated. Place in a serving bowl and top with cashews.
Serves 4-6 people
