Catalan-Style Gai Lan with Raisins and Pine Nuts
Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish or tapa
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced 2 bunches gai lan (Chinese broccoli, about 2 pounds)
¾ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted 1 lemon, halved DIRECTIONS
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the garlic and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until the garlic has turned lightly golden. Remove from heat and remove the garlic with a slotted spoon, allowing it to drain on paper towels. Leave the garlic-infused oil in the skillet and set aside for later use. Separate the leaves from the stalks of the gai lan. Roughly chop the leaves and slice the stalks into ¼-inch pieces. Heat the skillet with the garlic-infused oil over medium heat. Add the gai lan stalks and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until just tender. Add the gai lan leaves and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, until the leaves are wilted and tender. Stir in the salt, pepper, raisins and pine nuts and remove from the heat. Drizzle with the juice from half the lemon and taste for seasoning. Drizzle with a little olive oil and garnish with the crispy garlic and a lemon wedge.
— Laura McLively, “The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook”