BRAISED PAK CHOI WITH HAM

Serve with fried rice or noodles. Serves 4 as a side dish

120 ml chicken or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
450 g (1 lb) pak choi, halved or quartered
Salt to taste
2-3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
a few drops of chilli oil or hot sauce (optional)
200 g (1/2 lb) cooked ham, cut into small strips

Bring the stock and ginger to a boil over high heat in a large frying pan or wok. Add the pak choi and salt to taste. Turn heat to low; cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, until tender. Place the pak choi on a serving dish. Sprinkle with the vinegar and optional chilli oil, and garnish with the sliced ham.

EGG FLOWER SOUP WITH PAK CHOI

Also great with chicken, peas, broccoli or carrots. Serves 2

750 ml chicken or vegetable stock (preferably fresh)
2 handfuls of pak choi strips or broccoli pieces
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Chilli oil or pepper to taste

Bring stock to a boil in a medium pan or wok. Add pak choi or broccoli, and cook for a few minutes, until tender. Remove the greens to a dish. Return the stock to a boil and drizzle in the beaten eggs, stirring once to create ‘egg flowers’. Remove from heat, add the greens, cover and let sit for 2 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce, sesame oil and chilli or pepper to taste. Serve immediately and enjoy!

BEEF AND PAK CHOI STIR-FRY

Serve with rice or noodles. 4 servings

1 bunch pak choi, leaves cut into wide strips and stems cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
250 g beef steak, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sherry or Chinese cooking wine
2 teaspoons sesame oil

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add another tablespoon of oil and add the meat in batches, then stir-fry each batch for 3 minutes until browned but not cooked through. Remove the beef to a plate with slotted spoon. Add the pak choi to the wok and stir-fry for 30 seconds or until just wilted. Add beef, soy sauce and sherry and stir-fry for another 2 minutes. Add sesame oil, toss well and serve immediately.

PORK AND PAK CHOI WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE

Vegetarians can substitute pork with firm tofu or shredded carrot. Serve on rice. Serves 4

400 g lean pork, cut into thin strips
1 1/2 tablespoons black bean sauce
1 medium or 2 small heads pak choi, shredded
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 handful sliced water chestnuts or red pepper
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
optional: 2 teaspoons fish sauce

Heat half of the sesame oil and all of the vegetable oil in a wok or large pan over a high heat. Cook the onion, garlic and ginger for 3 minutes and put them aside in a dish. Heat the remaining sesame oil and stir-fry the pork until it is browned. Put all the ingredients back into the wok and toss, then lower the heat, cover and steam 5 for minutes then serve immediately.

FAST COOKING WITH PAK CHOI

Pak Choi, very lightly stir-fried with a bit of garlic or ginger, is divine! Oyster sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil are all well suited, alone or together, to the delicate flavour of pak choi. If you want, add a bit of cornflour to the sauce to thicken. Try cutting 1 head crosswise into thin strips and frying it in a little oil for 2 minutes. Then add 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, and 1 tablespoon butter; cook for 2 minutes more and serve with fish or over steamed rice.