“This simple recipe is perfect as a side or a large portion to share,” says The Little Viet Kitchen’s Thuy Diem Pham. “Get your timings right and you’ll keep all the goodness locked in.
“The broccoli should be bright in colour, glistening on the plate and joyfully crunchy on the bite,” she adds.
Vietnamese garlic broccoli stir-fry
Equipment
- Food processor
- Frying pan
- Large saucepan
Ingredients
- 300 g Asian broccoli washed and dried
- 3 tbsp sesame oil
- 6 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp Chilli and Lemongrass Marinade
For the Chilli and Lemongrass Marinade:
- 200 g dried shrimp
- 500 ml vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp finely diced garlic
- 10 spring onions, white parts only finely chopped
- 1 tbsp shrimp paste
- 1 tsp dried red chilli flakes
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 200 ml chilli oil
- vegetable oil
Method
- Make the marinade (this makes approximately 600ml). Soak the dried shrimp for 30 minutes in a bowl of warm water. Drain, pat dry with paper towels, then blitz in a food processor for 30 seconds to form a fine floss and set aside. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat until it reaches 160°C. Add the garlic and the white parts of the spring onions, and fry for one to two minutes, or until the garlic starts to turn light golden in colour. Add the dried shrimp and shrimp paste to the pan and stir in the chilli flakes, sugar, salt and fish sauce. Reduce the heat to very low and cook for a further 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop the sugar from burning. Pour in the chilli oil and continue to cook for five minutes. Take the pan off the heat and leave the marinade to cool overnight, uncovered. Transfer to an airtight container or jar and pour over enough oil to cover the marinade mixture.
- Bring one litre of water to the boil, and blanch the broccoli stems for 20 seconds then immediately submerge into a large bowl of cold water. Leave for 30 seconds, then take out and drain.
- Heat the sesame oil to a medium heat in a small frying pan. An easy way to tell when the oil is ready is to place a wooden chopstick into it – when bubbles form on the surface of the oil it is ready. Add the crushed garlic, keeping it moving around the pan for approximately 10 seconds until the colour begins to change to a light brown.
- Add the broccoli, soy sauce and sugar and toss for one minute, making sure the broccoli is coated evenly in the sauce.
- Remove the broccoli stems from the heat immediately, ensuring it remains al dente, and plate.
- Now drizzle over the chilli and lemongrass marinade and it’s ready to serve.
Nutrition
The Little Viet Kitchen by Thuy Diem Pham, photography by David Loftus, is published by Absolute Press.
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