Braised Bok Choy

There's a restaurant in Tokyo (is it still there? anyone?  nope, it isn't.  I Googled it.  ) called Fujimamas that is amazing.  Was amazing.  That's all.  It served Asian Fusion food with a Japanese emphasis (duh) and was one of my favorite places to go growing up.  One of my favorite dishes was grilled shark with baby bok choy and avocado and WHOA was it good.  I'm not actually sure I ever ordered anything else there, come to think of it!

Fujimamas is one of my first memories of eating bok choy, and it was a great decision each time I ordered the dish.  I got some baby bok choy from the farmers market a few weeks ago, and while I didn't try to recreate the dish, I did try to recreate the flavors of the sauce with the veggie - this is spicy, easy, and super healthy!

Braised Bok Choy

This is a very simple method and the bok choy can be substituted for cabbage or any hearty dark green - I make this all the time to accompany simple fish and rice dinners.

Look at all this weird Asian sh*t!  It's super fun to cook with - don't be afraid!  Here's what I use for the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 sprinkle dashi flakes OR 2 dashes fish sauce (easier to find, try not to freak out)
• 1 small chopped hot pepper (omit if you're a wuss)
• 2 cloves minced garlic

Once the bok choy has started to saute, add the mirin, dashi, and soy sauce.  I also added some chicken stock (water is fine too) to allow the bok choy to braise.

Now, chop up the pepper and garlic...

Then, after the bok choy has softened and cooked for about 6 minutes, add the garlic and pepper, and stir around.

Now, let braise for a few more minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens - add some more water if the pan gets too dry.  At the last minute, stir in the sesame seeds.

And that's it!  I like to leave my sauce a little thin, but you could let this reduce further to thicken.  The braising process will take longer if you have regular bok choy with tougher stems - allow about 5 extra minutes of simmering the bok choy in the sauce if you have a bigger plant.

This is so delicious, and is light enough that it pairs nicely with LOTS of different Asian-style foods.  On this plate it's served with ginger pork!, which I'll show you how to make next!