Simply separate the broccoli florets, sear them in garlic infused olive oil, pour in chicken broth, and braise while covered until tender. That’s it! The florets are soaked with a flavorful broth that makes you want to devour a whole head of broccoli within minutes. The dish is inspired by a dish I had in Dali Courtyard, a hidden Yunnan restaurant in the old Hutongs of Beijing. But, instead of using a wok, I chose to use a large flat carbon steel skillet because it heats up 10x faster on my electric stove than my wok, which has a tiny contact surface area.
The braising part is the key. Compared to your usual oven roasting method or blanching, this recipe does not require you to heat up the oven, or boiling a pot of water. So, you save extra 15 minutes, plus you can finish up cooking in one pan! The hot pan will steam the broccoli in a minute, and lightly crisp up the garlic at the same time. The cooking is as simple as steaming broccoli in a microwave, but the result is heavenly. For a light dinner, I sometimes simply throw some leftover chicken into the pan and let it heat up with the veggies – and then I have dinner in 5 minutes!
Cooking video
I recorded a short video to show you how easy it is to cook this dish. Find more videos to learn Chinese cooking on my YouTube channel!
Looking for more simple side dishes like this? Check out my broccoli with oyster sauce, baby bok choy with garlic dressing, four-ingredient okra stir fry, and vinaigrette cabbage. I hope you all enjoy the dish as much as I do. Bon Appétit!
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
