Weeknight Broccoli
A Master Chinese Chef's 10-Minute Broccoli that even the pickiest of eaters can't resist!
Cooking Summary
Ingredients: (detailed list)
- salt, broccoli, garlic, oil, oyster sauce
Steps:
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Overview
This is what my dad (a Chinese chef with over 60 years of professional cooking experience) makes for his grandkids every week. My kids are pretty picky eaters, and even they can't resist!
It's extremely simple and only takes about 10 minutes start to finish.
Why this recipe
Most weeknight broccoli recipes online are tested only a handful of times. My dad used to make this dish multiple times a day, every day, for 60+ years and can make this in his sleep.
I know you'll love it as much as our community does! This recipe has over 198.7K views, 4.9K likes on YouTube.
Ingredients
How to make Weeknight Broccoli
In a basin of water and salt (2 tsp), wash and soak the broccoli (2 head) floret side down, as all of the dirt and debris is in the florets.
To save time for later, start boiling a pot of water.
Washing vegetables with salt is a low-effort upgrade over just rinsing: salt helps draw out water-soluble pesticides, and it’s also somewhat antimicrobial (though not as much as cooking).
Peel and smash the garlic (2 clove) cloves. In contrast to other recipes, we won't need to chop these further.
Drain and trim the broccoli. Cut through the stems (not the florets, otherwise the florets will get dispersed). If you're cooking for young kids, try to cut off more stem, since more of the bitter, pungent flavor notes of broccoli live in the stem.
Halve any larger pieces by cutting through the stem and prying the piece apart until it splits.
Heat a wok on high, add about a tablespoon of oil (1 Tbsp), then add the smashed garlic cloves. Let the garlic bloom on high heat for 30 seconds.
Then, turn down the heat to low, take the pot of boiling water, and pour it into the wok.
You should expect a loud hiss and steam. This somewhat violent reaction is rapidly infusing our broccoli blanching water with garlic aromatics and oil, which leads to a much more subtle and interesting taste than just blanching with oil and salt like we do in our other broccoli recipes.
Typically we blanch the broccoli in salt and oil, but this results in more fragrant broccoli.
Add salt (1 tsp) to the garlic-infused water. Ideally, there is enough water to completely submerge the broccoli.
Bring it to a boil on high heat, add the broccoli, and let it boil for about 2 minutes until it is vibrant green and crunchy. For little kids or elderly, continue boiling for an additional 1-2 minutes to let it soften more.
With a strainer or colander, transfer the broccoli to a pot of cold water. Drain, plate, and add oyster sauce (1 Tbsp). Mix it in once you're ready to eat!
We don’t always add oyster sauce, as these taste great without it. However, it’s a nice touch for extra flavor.
Top 3 Mistakes
- Chopping through the crowns:
Cut through the stems and gently separate the broccoli pieces instead of cutting through the buds. This keeps the crowns intact rather than scattering little florets everywhere.
- Mincing garlic for this dish:
Leave the peeled garlic smashed rather than mincing it. This recipe blooms the cloves before making its cooking liquid, so follow that preparation instead of using tiny chopped bits.
- Skipping the cooling step:
Move the blanched broccoli into cold water before draining and plating. That step ends the hot cooking stage, helping you keep the green, crunchy result described in the recipe.
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Made with love ❤️
We started Made With Lau to celebrate Cantonese culture and honor the legacy of our wonderful parents, Jenny and Chung Sun Lau.
Our hope is that these recipes and stories help you spread the joy, love, and nostalgia that I felt growing up.