Pak choy (also bok choy) is a type of Chinese cabbage with large leafy greens and thick white stems similar to celery. This vegetable has a high water content, and can be boiled into a soup, roasted until caramelized in the oven, and sauteed alone or in a stir fry. Store your pak choy in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. It is best when used within a few days, but can be kept fresh for up to a week.
To Prepare Pak Choy:
1. Cut the base and the roots of the plant from the stems. Discard the base and roots in the compost, green waste, or trash.
2. Next, separate the stalks, and rinse them under running water. The plant naturally harbors lots of dirt and particles like lettuce heads. Drain the water from the leaves in a colander.
3. Halve the stems lengthwise from the base of the stalk through the tips of the leaf.
4. Gather the stalks, and slice them into 1 inch sections from the base of the stalk to the tip of the leaves.
To Sautee
Heat a pan over medium low heat, and add 2 tablespoons of sesame oil with on tsp crushed garlic. Add 4 cups of prepared pak choy to pan and saute until the leaves are wilted and the stalks are soft. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Alternately:
Add pak choy to cooked soup just before turning off the heat, just until tender. To roast, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and roast at 375 for 15 minutes or until caramelized.