How to Cook Bok Choy for Chop Suey

Bok choy is prized for its two-in-one combination of crispy white stalks and cabbage-like leaves. Both edible parts are tasty in such classic multi-vegetable dishes as chop suey. Given that chop suey, sometimes known as "American chop suey," was born in the West rather than the East, the addition of quintessential Chinese vegetables such as bok choy adds an Asian touch to the dish. Start the stalks before the quicker-to-cook leaves go in the wok. This separation is par for the course with chop suey, which often involves cooking vegetables and sometimes meat in batches, then reheating with a salty-sweet sauce.

Things You'll Need

Paper towels
Chef's knife
Cutting board
Wok with cover
Vegetable oil or peanut oil
Wooden spoon or narrow spatula
Additional vegetables, such as bean sprouts, celery or snow peas

Sliced pork, sliced chicken or peeled shrimp, optional
Small mixing bowl
Whisk or fork
Water
Cornstarch
Oyster sauce

Instructions

Rinse bok choy and pat dry with paper towels.
Slice into the bok choy where the stalks meet the leaves. Chop the stems diagonally into 1-inch pieces. Roughly chop the greens.
Heat a spoonful of oil in a wok set to medium high.
Put the stalks in the wok and stir-fry them for one minute. Toss in the greens and stir both the stalks and the leaves briefly.
Season the bok choy with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle a small amount of water over the stalks and greens, then cover the pan.
Uncover the pan and check the bok choy after about three minutes. Once it reaches the crisp-tender stage, remove the stalks and leaves from pan.
Stir-fry the other vegetables and the meat strips in batches over medium-high heat. Add additional oil to the wok as needed between batches.
Return the bok choy and other ingredients to the wok and reheat, stirring briskly.
Mix 4 parts water with 1 part cornstarch in a bowl before whisking in 2 parts oyster sauce. Dollop a small amount of this sauce over the chop suey mixture and stir together until the ingredients are coated and the sauce thickens.

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