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Prep time
5 minutes
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Cook time
5 minutes
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Serves
two
Author Notes
We rarely think of watercress as anything but a salad or soup ingredient. But watercress lightly cooked as a vegetable still retains a pleasant crunch and a delightfully peppery flavor.
This is one of our favorite dishes at our favorite Chinese restaurant. My re-creation is quick and simple, suitable for a weeknight. —Savory
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Ingredients
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1 bunch
watercress, washed and cut into 4-inch lengths
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1 tablespoon
canola or peanut oil
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1/2 tablespoon
minced garlic
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1/2 tablespoon
minced ginger root
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1 pinch
red pepper flakes or cayenne
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1 tablespoon
light soy sauce
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1 tablespoon
Chinese cooking wine
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1 teaspoon
cornstarch--as needed
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a few drops
hot-pressed sesame oil--optional
Directions
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Combine soy sauce and cooking wine with cornstarch in a small bowl.
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Heat oil in wok over high heat. (I often use a cast iron skillet for stir-frying, but a bunch of watercress is bulky to start with, and though it wilts down on cooking like most greens, without a wok much of it would wind up on the stovetop and floor.)
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Add the ginger, garlic, and red pepper. Stir till fragrant (perhaps 30 seconds).
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Add the watercress and stir immediately and continuously. It should wilt down in a minute or two. If necessary, add a tablespoon or two of water and cover for half a minute, but the leaves should release water as they wilt.
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When the stems are slightly wilted but not limp, re-suspend the cornstarch in the soy sauce mixture and add to the wok. Give it a quick stir and serve immediately over rice, drizzling a few drops of sesame oil over it if desired.
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Don't overcook this. The color should still be bright green and the stems al dente. Cooking time should be under 3 minutes.
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