STIR FRIED BROCCOLI WITH SICHUAN PEPPER

• doses: SERVES 4

Ingredientes

14 ounces (390 grams) broccoli

½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for blanching

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

4 to 6 dried chillies, snipped into ½-inch segments and seeds shaken out

½ teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns, or 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorns

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ teaspoon soy sace

¼ teaspoon MSG

¼ teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)

Instruções

Cut the broccoli into 2-inch lorets and halve each one lengthwise. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and drizzle in 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oit. Blanch the broccoli florets for about 2 minutes, until cooked but still crisp and vivid green. Drain in a colander and shake dry.

Heat a wok over high heat until a bead of water evaporates within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and swirl to coat the sides. Stir-fry the dried chillies for 20 seconds, then add the ground peppercorns and bloom in the oil for 10 more seconds. Add the garlic and all the broccoli florets and stir-fry briskly, tossing them over the highest heat until piping hot, about 2 minutes. Move the wok off the burner and season with ½ teaspoon salt, the soy sauce, MSG, sugar, and white pepper, then return the wok to the heat and toss a few more times to incorporate everything. Remove from the heat, stir in the sesame oil (if using), and serve immediately.

Notas

Chef Wen has a cooking choreography that's instinctive: there's no wasted movement. His left hand grasps the heavy wok with a towel his right hand hods the ladłe, Into the heated wok goes a swirl of oil, then the dried chiles and Sichuan peppercorns, stirred until ust darkened. Broccoli goes in with no hesitation. He turns up the fhre. nd screaming flames warp the air. Toss once. Toss twice. He swings around and ficks seasonings from the tray behind him into his ladle--a bit of soy sauce, salt, sugar, and MSG-and the ladie passes back over the wok. The sauce sizzles as it hits the searing iron He holds the ladle under the running tap to catch about 2 tablespoons of water and swirls it into the wok. Steam hisses in a puff. the water evaporating almost instantly, and he tosses the broccoli a fnal time. the breath of the wok mingling and perfuming the forets. Swinging the wok up off the bumer. he scoops the stir-fry onto a waiting plate. and steps back, done. The server takes it out.

To make this at home on an ordinary burner. Chef Wen recom- mends blanching the broccoli first "The broccoli should be t qlchéngshu |7o percent cooked) before you stir-fy, so you can keep the time in the wok fast," he explains. There's nothing like eating the broccoli piping hot and juicy. still infused with fragrance and danp- ening a bowl of rice with the absorbed sauces.