Baby Bok Choy with Oyster Sauce

This recipe is so ridiculously simple I thought about not even posting it, but I figure it might still be a good introduction to blanching and a nice idea to try for someone who hasn't thought of it.

A few months ago, I had lunch at a place called Luscious Dumplings, and while the dumplings certainly were luscious, I found myself really enjoying the simple side of bok choy the served with it.  It was a big platter of the vegetable served with a side of oyster sauce, and the combination of the crunchy, fresh taste of the bok choy with the salty and savory sauce was a great compliment to an otherwise starchy and meaty meal.

Upon further review, it looks like they cut their baby bok choy into individual leaves before serving, which might be a good call because of how difficult these things are to clean.  Most vegetables I just give a quick rinse to, but the shape of the bok choy seems to make it a perfect vessel for holding tightly onto the sand that collects in it, and you really need to scrub under each leaf individually if you want to avoid the grit that comes with biting down on the sand (and trust me, you do want to avoid that).

Baby Bok Choy with Oyster Sauce
1 lb baby bok choy (other chinese greens like chinese broccoli would work great too)
2 tbsp oyster sauce
Optional: 1-2 tsp crispy garlic flake

Bring 1-2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.  Add thoroughly washed bok choy to the pot and blanch for 3-4 minutes, until the stalks are tender but the leaves have not changed color.  Drain and either add immediately to ice bath (ideal) or run under cold water until cool (this locks in the bright color by stopping the cooking process).

Add bok choy to plate and top with drizzle of oyster sauce; serve remaining oyster sauce on the side.  If desired, top bok choy with crispy garlic flake (this is essentially pre-fried garlic you can find in most Asian markets and is a great way to add a quick crispy element to a dish).  Serve immediately.