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Stir-Fried Collards
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- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 3bunches tender collard greens (2½ to 3 pounds total)
- Salt
- 2tablespoons peanut or canola oil
- 6garlic cloves, chopped
- A few grinds of black pepper
- 2 to 3tablespoons oyster sauce
- ½teaspoon granulated sugar
Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Have a bowl of ice water ready. Wash and trim the greens, and cut into 2-by-3-inch pieces. Blanch in batches in the boiling water for 1 minute (begin counting after the water returns to a boil), then immediately transfer to the bowl of ice water. Drain well. Lift the greens up by handfuls and squeeze out the excess water, then spread out on a kitchen towel and pat dry.
- Step 2
Heat a wok over high heat (medium-high if you have a powerful stove), then season with salt and let it brown lightly. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and stir until lightly browned. Add the greens and pepper and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Stir in 2 tablespoons oyster sauce and the sugar, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
Stir-frying with an umami source and/or garlic is a venerable cooking technique, used by Chinese cooks for broccoli, mustard greens, water spinach and green/long beans, among other veggies. Step 1's blanching + ice-water tries to gild the lily and creates work. Instead, an extra minute (or two) on the wok is much simpler: judge doneness by the leaves turning bright green, and by tasting a piece of the stalks, which cook slowest - these should be al dente.
This preparation treats collards like broccoli rabe which I also love. Didn't care for the sweet flavor so much. I prefer a little red pepper and a shot of rice vinegar before serving.
This is very close to "Couve Mineira" (Collards Minas Gerais-style). You use mature collards, remove thickest veins and stalks, stack them about 10 at a time, roll them up and slice very fine transversally. Sauté with olive oil, salt and garlic. Prep takes some work but it's worth it.
I have used a vegetarian “oyster style sauce” in the past, available at Asian markets.
The phrase “Heat a wok over high heat, then season with salt and let it brown lightly” suggests the salt is alone in the wok and that you’re browning the salt. Is that right? Can you brown salt? Normally, browning is about sugars … what’s it about here?
RE: Letting salt brown - I agree that it makes no sense. "Seasoning" a just-purchased wok uses salt+oil+heat to prevent rusting by forming a thin but firm coating ("patina") of carbon that acts as a barrier against air. See webstaurantstore.com/article/106/how-to-season-a-wok.html If your wok's in regular use, however, you certainly don't want to do this each time you use it.
Wow. This came out great. Was super easy, my wife said this was the first time she liked collard greens.
Made recipe with less collards and adjusted proportionately, one of my favorite simple vegetable stir fries I’ve made
Where does one get tender collards? Mine have always needed forty minutes of cooking to become palatable.
Excellent recipe—followed it exactly.
Superb. I didn’t change a thing, and they came out cooked and seasoned to perfection. Dear partner who is not a greens fan raved.
My other Thanksgiving failure this year. Way too chewy. Next year, back to Brussels sprouts!
I have used a vegetarian “oyster style sauce” in the past, available at Asian markets.
The phrase “Heat a wok over high heat, then season with salt and let it brown lightly” suggests the salt is alone in the wok and that you’re browning the salt. Is that right? Can you brown salt? Normally, browning is about sugars … what’s it about here?
RE: Letting salt brown - I agree that it makes no sense. "Seasoning" a just-purchased wok uses salt+oil+heat to prevent rusting by forming a thin but firm coating ("patina") of carbon that acts as a barrier against air. See webstaurantstore.com/article/106/how-to-season-a-wok.html If your wok's in regular use, however, you certainly don't want to do this each time you use it.
This is very close to "Couve Mineira" (Collards Minas Gerais-style). You use mature collards, remove thickest veins and stalks, stack them about 10 at a time, roll them up and slice very fine transversally. Sauté with olive oil, salt and garlic. Prep takes some work but it's worth it.
Is oyster sauce vegetarian? If not, is there a substitute that is? Thanks.
This preparation treats collards like broccoli rabe which I also love. Didn't care for the sweet flavor so much. I prefer a little red pepper and a shot of rice vinegar before serving.
Stir-frying with an umami source and/or garlic is a venerable cooking technique, used by Chinese cooks for broccoli, mustard greens, water spinach and green/long beans, among other veggies. Step 1's blanching + ice-water tries to gild the lily and creates work. Instead, an extra minute (or two) on the wok is much simpler: judge doneness by the leaves turning bright green, and by tasting a piece of the stalks, which cook slowest - these should be al dente.
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