Brassica chinense Pak Choy

MrBig46 · September 26, 2019

What can be cooked from Pak Choy Chinese cabbage?

★★★★★★★★★★★ Vladimir

imp · September 26, 2019

Looks like it makes a petite or smaller type plant, so you could stir fry it whole or halved in many recipes, or add the small halves or quarters to soups or stews, it can be fried like head cabbage is done too. I like the very young leaves in a salad, either a mixed greens salad or sliced crossways into a slaw type salad. It's good steamed with salt, pepper and a dab of soya sauce or oyster sauce as a side dish by it's self. I've used it for the cabbage in Bubble and Squeak, battered lightly and fired ( not so healthy, but good) and have cut it into bite sized pieces and fried with cubed potatoes. Used it raw, separating the leaves for a dipping agent in salsa to ranch as well.

A pretty versatile plant, like a mild cabbage.

kilroyscarnival · September 26, 2019

It is tender and mild, like a softer sweeter version of a white cabbage, when harvested young. I use it in all kinds of improvised stir fry dishes. Two of my favorite YouTube cooks are Marion's Kitchen and Maangchi. The former is a half-Thai/half-Australian young woman (and her Thai mom) doing Thai and pan-Asian dishes. The latter is a Korean-American woman in New York. I've been learning a lot about Asian flavors and textures (my next endeavor is to make homemade Japanese udon and soba noodles) from them and others. I'm fortunate to live in a city with several large and many smaller Asian markets.

MrBig46 · September 27, 2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by kilroyscarnival

It is tender and mild, like a softer sweeter version of a white cabbage, when harvested young. I use it in all kinds of improvised stir fry dishes. Two of my favorite YouTube cooks are Marion's Kitchen and Maangchi. The former is a half-Thai/half-Australian young woman (and her Thai mom) doing Thai and pan-Asian dishes. The latter is a Korean-American woman in New York. I've been learning a lot about Asian flavors and textures (my next endeavor is to make homemade Japanese udon and soba noodles) from them and others. I'm fortunate to live in a city with several large and many smaller Asian markets.

Can you give me links to the two chefs on YouTube? I would like to try something unusual for us Europeans. I like to taste foreign food, only the question is whether I can cook it.
Vladimír

kilroyscarnival · October 4, 2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrBig46

Can you give me links to the two chefs on YouTube? I would like to try something unusual for us Europeans. I like to taste foreign food, only the question is whether I can cook it.
Vladimír

Sure! This is a link to Marion's Kitchen: https://www.youtube.com/user/Marionskitchen

And Maangchi is at https://www.youtube.com/user/Maangchi

I think Maangchi's recipes are all Americanized in that they are in cup measurements, pounds and nothing metric, but a great many of the recipes you can do a rough translation into grams and ml. I watch so many cooks on YouTube (and Bake-Off from the UK) that I've done a fair amount of baking with my scale in grams.

DonDuck · October 11, 2019

I like winter vegetables cooked as greens. Typically collard greens, mustard greens; and Bok Choy make the best mixed greens. We eat them all winter fresh and also freeze them for summer meals.

I have a really large pot which I fill with greens, add seasonings and water and cook them down to about 1/4 their starting volume.

MrBig46 · October 12, 2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonDuck

I like winter vegetables cooked as greens. Typically collard greens, mustard greens; and Bok Choy make the best mixed greens. We eat them all winter fresh and also freeze them for summer meals.

I have a really large pot which I fill with greens, add seasonings and water and cook them down to about 1/4 their starting volume.

What spices do you put in there?
Vladimír

DonDuck · October 12, 2019

I lightly season the pot after the greens have cooked down and I have tasted them. Fresh garden greens change taste thru out the winter. I use the basic seasoning like salt, pepper, fresh garlic or garlic powder; and chicken bouillon. I'm careful to not over season because I want the mixed greens taste to stand out. I cook the greens on medium or low for a long time until they are really soft and then adjust seasonings at the end. If I have any kind of salted, cured pork; I may add some to the pot while the greens are cooking. I purposely have more liquid than greens when they finish cooking and save the excess liquid, which freezes well; for soup base in the future.

Saving the liquid is a southern tradition where it is called the "liquor". The liquor is packed full of nutrients and minerals from garden greens and seems to have a rejuvenating effect on my body. In the coldest and darkest part of winter, my body starts craving the taste and effects of garden greens with the liquor.

Worth1 · September 26, 2019

Think borscht.

MrBig46 · September 27, 2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

Think borscht.

I like borscht. I'll try.
Vladimír

Worth1 · September 26, 2019

You could always make some sauerkraut out of some of it.

PhilaGardener · September 26, 2019

Nice looking plants! I use it in stir fry dishes as well.

GoDawgs · September 27, 2019

I'm glad I'm not the only one who buys seed packs I can't read!

Those are nice plants. Lots of kinds of pak choi and there are lots of good suggestions already made. I mostly stir fry mine in combination with whatever else is in the veg crisper.

imp · September 27, 2019

I forgot, sometimes I would do a quick fridge pickle with quartered bok choy and red onions.

Worth1 · September 27, 2019

Cabbage carrots potato and onion soup.

September 26, 2019	#2
imp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Wichita Falls, Texas Posts: 4,832	Looks like it makes a petite or smaller type plant, so you could stir fry it whole or halved in many recipes, or add the small halves or quarters to soups or stews, it can be fried like head cabbage is done too. I like the very young leaves in a salad, either a mixed greens salad or sliced crossways into a slaw type salad. It's good steamed with salt, pepper and a dab of soya sauce or oyster sauce as a side dish by it's self. I've used it for the cabbage in Bubble and Squeak, battered lightly and fired ( not so healthy, but good) and have cut it into bite sized pieces and fried with cubed potatoes. Used it raw, separating the leaves for a dipping agent in salsa to ranch as well. A pretty versatile plant, like a mild cabbage. __________________ I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing. Last edited by imp; September 26, 2019 at 06:37 AM.

October 12, 2019	#8
DonDuck Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Corinth, texas Posts: 1,784	I lightly season the pot after the greens have cooked down and I have tasted them. Fresh garden greens change taste thru out the winter. I use the basic seasoning like salt, pepper, fresh garlic or garlic powder; and chicken bouillon. I'm careful to not over season because I want the mixed greens taste to stand out. I cook the greens on medium or low for a long time until they are really soft and then adjust seasonings at the end. If I have any kind of salted, cured pork; I may add some to the pot while the greens are cooking. I purposely have more liquid than greens when they finish cooking and save the excess liquid, which freezes well; for soup base in the future. Saving the liquid is a southern tradition where it is called the "liquor". The liquor is packed full of nutrients and minerals from garden greens and seems to have a rejuvenating effect on my body. In the coldest and darkest part of winter, my body starts craving the taste and effects of garden greens with the liquor. Last edited by DonDuck; October 12, 2019 at 05:17 PM.

September 27, 2019	#14
imp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Wichita Falls, Texas Posts: 4,832	I forgot, sometimes I would do a quick fridge pickle with quartered bok choy and red onions. __________________ I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing.

September 26, 2019	#3
kilroyscarnival Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 614	It is tender and mild, like a softer sweeter version of a white cabbage, when harvested young. I use it in all kinds of improvised stir fry dishes. Two of my favorite YouTube cooks are Marion's Kitchen and Maangchi. The former is a half-Thai/half-Australian young woman (and her Thai mom) doing Thai and pan-Asian dishes. The latter is a Korean-American woman in New York. I've been learning a lot about Asian flavors and textures (my next endeavor is to make homemade Japanese udon and soba noodles) from them and others. I'm fortunate to live in a city with several large and many smaller Asian markets.

October 11, 2019	#6
DonDuck Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Corinth, texas Posts: 1,784	I like winter vegetables cooked as greens. Typically collard greens, mustard greens; and Bok Choy make the best mixed greens. We eat them all winter fresh and also freeze them for summer meals. I have a really large pot which I fill with greens, add seasonings and water and cook them down to about 1/4 their starting volume.

September 26, 2019	#9
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Think borscht.

September 26, 2019	#12
PhilaGardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Near Philadelphia, PA Posts: 1,940	Nice looking plants! I use it in stir fry dishes as well.

September 27, 2019	#13
GoDawgs Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Augusta area, Georgia, 8a/7b Posts: 1,685	I'm glad I'm not the only one who buys seed packs I can't read! Those are nice plants. Lots of kinds of pak choi and there are lots of good suggestions already made. I mostly stir fry mine in combination with whatever else is in the veg crisper.