B.U.G. Farmer B.U.G. Farmer

Stir-fried Napa Cabbage with Hot & Sour Sauce (酸辣白菜)

Pungent, flavourful in taste and crunchy in texture, stir-fried Napa cabbage with hot & sour sauce is delectable, yet very simple to cook.



Author: Wei Guo

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Chinese

 

Prep: 4 minutes minutes

Cook: 3 minutes minutes

Total: 7 minutes minutes

Servings:

Ingredients

  • ▢ 1 small Napa cabbage (Chinese cabbage) - about 450 g/1 lbs

For the sauce

For stir-frying

  • ▢ 1 tablespoon cooking oil

  • ▢ 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • ▢ 6 dried chilies, cut in sections - or to taste, see note 2

  • ▢ 1 stalk scallions, finely chopped

 

 Instructions

Prepare the cabbage

  • Separate the leaves of the Napa cabbage. Lay one leaf flat on the chopping board. Cut it into bite-sized pieces at a 30-degree angle (please refer to the image in the post above). Repeat to finish the rest.

Mix the sauce

  • In a small bowl, mix black rice vinegar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, starch, salt, sugar and water. Set aside.

Stir-fry the dish

  • Heat up a wok over high heat until it starts to smoke. Pour in oil then add garlic and dried chilies. Fry until fragrant (do not burn).

  • Put in the cabbage. Stir fry until the green leafy part starts to wilt but the white part remains crunchy.

  • Give the sauce a good stir then pour into the wok. Add scallions. Mix well. Remove from the heat once the sauce thickens. Serve immediately.

 

NOTES

1. There isn’t, unfortunately, a substitute for Chinese black rice vinegar. To achieve the best taste for this recipe, I recommend you use Zhenjiang (Chinkiang) vinegar/镇江香醋, a reputable variety widely available in Chinese stores.

 

2. Please free feel to adjust the number of dried chilies based on their heat level and your tolerance. The finished dish should have a nice kick of spice but not so hot that it overpowers other flavours. If you don’t have dried chilies at hand, use fresh chili to substitute.

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B.U.G. Farmer B.U.G. Farmer

Melting Napa Cabbage

Rich and garlicky with a sultry, robust flavor and just a hint of spice, this Melting Napa Cabbage recipe is easy to make, but it tastes like it slow braised in the oven all day!

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Author: California Grown

 

Equipment

  •  Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

For the Melting Napa Cabbage

  • 1 head Napa Cabbage

  • 1/3 cup concentrated tomato paste

  • 4 garlic cloves sliced very thin or grated

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

  • 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil divided

  • 1/2 tablespoon coarse Kosher salt divided

  • 3 tablespoons cilantro leaves for serving

  • 1 tablespoon edible flowers optional, we used arugula flowers

For the optional Pistachio Crumble Topping

  • 1/3 cup raw pistachios

  • 1 small garlic clove

  • 2 tablespoons hemp hearts

  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt more or less to taste

Instructions

 

Prepare the Melting Napa Cabbage

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (190°C).

  • Cut the Napa cabbage in half through the core then cut each half into quarters. You will have 8 Napa cabbage wedges. Set aside.

  • In a small bowl combine the tomato paste, garlic, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and black pepper. Stir to combine completely. Set aside.

  • Heat 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, if necessary, add as many cabbage wedges into the skillet cut side down as will comfortably fit. Season with the coarse kosher salt. Cook, turning once, until lightly charred, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer the seared cabbage to a plate and repeat with any remaining cabbage quarters.

  • Carefully, wipe out the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil to the skillet, once warm and beginning to shimmer add the spiced tomato paste mixture. Heat, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste begins to split and darken in color, 2-3 minutes.

  • Add enough water to the skillet to come halfway up the sides, about 1 – 1 1/2 cups (240-350 ml) total. Season the liquid with salt and bring to a simmer.

  • Nestle all of the seared cabbage wedges into the simmering tomato broth, overlapping if necessary. Transfer the cabbage to the oven and bake, uncovered, turning the cabbage wedges once about half way through, about 40-50 minutes. The cabbage should be falling apart tender when cooked completley.

  • Serve immediatley garnished with cilantro leaves and pistachio crumble if using.

Prepare the optional Pistachio Crumble Topping

  • While the cabbage is cooking, combine the raw pistachios and garlic clove in a food processor. Pulse until broken down into similar sized pieces, but don't process so long the pistachios turn into pistachio butter.

  • Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and pulse 4-5 times to combine. Store tightly covered. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.

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