Ingredients

  • 2 pounds baby collard greens, stemmed, leaves cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons shoyu soy sauce, or less if substituting
  • regular soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons expeller-pressed vegetable oil
  • 2 scant tablespoons very thinly julienned fresh ginger
  • 2 dried red chiles, such as de Arbol, crumbled into small pieces
  • Kosher salt
  • Cup chicken stock, preferably homemade (page 177)

Method

  • Blanch the collards for 30 seconds in a large pot of salted boiling water.
  • Drain, and then quickly transfer them to an ice bath.
  • As soon as they are cold, drain again and gently squeeze them with your hands to remove as much moisture as possible.
  • Transfer the collards to a medium bowl and toss with your fingers to separate, adding the shoyu and sesame oil and thoroughly distributing them.
  • Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saute pan over medium-low heat.
  • Add the ginger and chiles.
  • Saute for a minute, until the ginger is wilted and fragrant but has not colored.
  • Raise the heat to medium and add the collards.
  • Season with salt and toss to coat and incorporate the ginger and chiles.
  • Add the chicken stock and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes, until the greens are very hot.
  • Season with additional salt if necessary.