Spring and early summer is garlic scape season in New York. I was so happy when I received a small batch of beautifully curled up garlic scapes in our CSA box this year. Because it’s a staple vegetable I love and one I ate growing up in China. I still cook with them when I have the chance to shop at an Asian market, but not nearly as much as I would like. But now that it’s late spring / early summer I can find garlic scapes at farmers markets and grocery stores, which is awesome. Garlic scapes are an awesome ingredient to use in your daily cooking, because they are kind of like a cross between garlic and green onion but milder, with the texture of a green vegetable. So you basically get three in one. Today I want to introduce my favorite recipe for stir fried garlic scapes with eggs. It is so easy to put together, takes no time to cook, and tastes so good! It’s the type of home-style cooking that you won’t often find in a restaurant, but it’s comforting and perfect for a busy weekday.
Stir fried garlic scape with eggs ingredients
Asian garlic scape vs. US garlic scape
There are two types of garlic scape that you can usually find in the US – the long and skinny Asian type (on the left in the picture below), and the curly American type (on the right in the picture below). The Asian type has straighter stems and a lighter color. The texture is tenderer and easier to cook through. The American type has a darker color with a very curly stem. It is much tougher than the Asian type and requires a different cooking method to taste good (more details below). So it’s important to understand the type you have before cooking.
How to cut garlic scape
To cut garlic scapes, firstly cut off about 1 to 2” from the stem on the bottom and discard that bit because it tends to be quite tough. You should also remove the very top part, where it’s shaped like the green part of a green onion. Most of the time this tip is quite dried out. And even if it’s not super dry, it’s fibrous and can be chewy even after cooking.
Mise en place
When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:
Ginger and garlic (you can group them in one bowl)Eggs, beatenCut-up garlic scapesOyster sauce and soy sauce (you can combine them in one bowl)
How to make stir fried garlic scape with eggs
How to cook with different types of garlic scape
If you cook with Asian garlic scapes, you probably only need about two minutes to stir fry them until they become tender. If using American garlic scapes, you will need a much longer cooking time because their skin is quite thick and tough. My favorite way to cook with American garlic scapes is to splash a tablespoon of Shaoxing wine onto them during the stir fry. The wine will evaporate and lightly steam the garlic scapes, so they cook faster. It also adds a nice aroma to the dish. If you do not wish to use Shaoxing wine, add a splash of broth (chicken or vegetable broth), or a splash of water.
How to serve stir fried garlic scape with eggs
You can serve stir fried garlic scape with eggs as a main dish over steamed rice. The tender eggs and brown sauce work so well with the rice and it makes a nice light lunch. You can also serve the dish by itself as breakfast, or as part of a multi-dish meal. I will be sharing a few more super simple garlic scape recipes the next few days. I hope you enjoy this one!
Other quick and easy homestyle recipes
Chinese Garlic Green BeansEasy Steamed Tofu (蒸豆腐)Chao He Cai (Beijing-Style Vegetarian Moo Shu, 炒合菜)An Easy Chinese Greens Recipe Di San Xian (Stir Fried Eggplant, Potato and Pepper, 地三鲜)
