Grilled Bok Choy + Orange Hazelnut Sauce

Note: What is Shaoxing wine? Shaoxing rice wine (also spelled Shao-hsing or Shaohsing), an amber-colored wine made with glutinous rice, wheat yeast, and spring water. It is available at any Asian supermarket. You can substitute any dry sherry for or a dry white wine instead. 

 

Ingredients

Orange Hazelnut Sauce – makes 2-3 cups (freezes well)

1 Tbsp oil (canola or vegetable)

6 small cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

1 knob (loonie size) of ginger, peeled and minced

1 Tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine

½ cup finely chopped mushrooms (we used oyster but shitake would also work)

1 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped and any loose skins discarded

1 cup stock (we used veggie)

1 cup orange juice

1/2 - 1 cup water (optional: see note below)

2  Tbsp sugar (we used cane sugar)

3 Tbsp tamari

½ tsp salt for seasoning (optional)

 

Grilled Bok Choy

1 Tbsp oil (canola or vegetable)

1 large, or 2-4 baby bok choy (depending on how many you’re feeding), sliced in half

Salt and pepper for seasoning

 

Side of cooked brown rice

Side of vegetarian seitan, steak or chicken, sliced

Optional garnishes: chives and green onions

 

Preparation

On low, heat 1 Tbsp oil in a sauce pot and add garlic and ginger. Stir once to coat and the leave to sauté with the lid off for 10 minutes.

Pour Tbsp Shaoxing wine in to deglaze. Stir.

Add mushrooms, stir and cook for another 5 minutes with the lid on.

Add broth, orange juice, and toasted, chopped hazelnuts to mushroom mixture and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce to a low simmer.

Add sugar, and tamari. Allow to simmer for 1 hour.

This sauce can be served with pieces of hazelnuts, partially blended, or puréed, depending on your texture preference. *The sauce in the photo was not blended*

NOTE: If you want to serve it partially blended or puréed, once it's finished simmering remove from heat and let cool. Put mixture in a food processor, along with 1/2 cup of water and pulse. For a puréed sauce add to blender along with 1 cup of water and blend until smooth.

Pour back into pot to reheat. Add extra salt to taste and any extra water to thin as necessary.

While the sauce is simmering, cook your rice, meat (or alternative) or any other side dish options you’d like.

Wash bok choy and slice lengthwise. Heat a large cast iron skillet with 1 Tbsp oil on a medium-low heat. Place bok choy cut side up in the pan and cook until it starts to brown, about 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the cut side of bok choy. Flip and continue to cook until cut side is nice and brown. Remove from heat. You may need to do this in several batches. If so, add another Tbsp oil each time you have a new batch on.

To serve you can place all side dishes on the table as a ‘sharing’ meal or just as individual plates. Ladle hazelnut sauce over the bok choy but don’t be shy about putting some on everything! Garnish with chopped chives and green onions. Enjoy!