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WHAT'S NEW
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Andrew's ingredient of the month -- Gailan
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If you like broccoli and, especially rapini, Chinese broccoli or gailan is
the vegetable for you.
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By Andrew Chase, Homemakers Magazine Food editor
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Gailan -- or Chinese broccoli -- is a member of the brassica family of edible plants, just like broccoli, rapini, cauliflower, kale or cabbage. Gailan looks a lot like rapini, except the stems are firmer with a glossy tougher skin and the tops are more compact.
Each stem has two or three leaves attached; they look like small collard leaves, but are much more tender. All summer, Canadians can get locally grown gailan, but I was surprised to see tender and delicious hot-house grown local gailan in the last few weeks of March; especially baby gailan, which is particularly delicious. This availability says something about the popularity of the vegetable among Chinese home cooks and other Asians.
How to buy gailan
Gailan occasionally graces the vegetable aisles of our chain supermarkets, but you might have to find it at a Chinese grocery store. Look for unblemished stalks with tightly closed flowerheads (not the pretty white flowers of older gailan). Check to see that the cut ends of the stalks aren't excessively dry.
Baby gailan, the stalks of which are only 2- to 4-inches (5 to 10 cm) long, should look fresh and lively; as if just picked. If you are buying it in Chinatown, make sure not to confuse it with Chinese rapeweed (tsoisam or tsaixin), another popular Chinese vegetable that looks more like rapini with its feathered leaves and tender skin.
Gailan is slightly more bitter than broccoli, and it doesn't have such a strong cabbagey flavour. It has a more resilient and toothsome texture than rapini.
How to cook gailan
The stems of thicker gailan are best peeled before cooking. This is an easy job with a vegetable peeler; just cut off the leaves and then peel almost to the flowerheads. It's best to blanch gailan in vigorously boiling, salted water before stir-frying.
Many Chinese people enjoy gailan simply boiled until tender-crisp, drained and topped with oyster sauce. Just as often, the blanched gailan is quickly stir-fried in a little oil and garlic. The stems can be stir-fried whole or cut into pieces.
Gailan also adapts well to Western cooking techniques; any recipe for broccoli or rapini is suitable.
Click to continue...
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