Sautéed Pea Shoots with Garlic

I went to the Chinese supermarket last weekend, so fair warning – what follows is going to be an absolute slew of Chinese recipes. Whhheeeee!!!

I love Chinese food. Being Chinese myself, this is hardly surprising, but I can’t go probably more than two weeks without eating a bowl of rice. When I was 18, my family and I went on a cruise to Alaska. I was absolutely bedazzled by the immense supply and quantity of food on board the boat, but, cruise cuisine probably not being that international back in 2001, I remember eating a lot of meat, potatoes, and cake. Don’t get me wrong – I loved every minute of it, especially the endless dessert platters (a bit of foreshadowing of my college life as well…), but as the ship put-put-putted back to port in Vancouver, I had the most intense craving for soy-sauce licked meats, soft, fluffy mounds of short-grain rice, and crisp, sweet, crunchy pea shoots laced with garlic.

If you’ve never had pea shoots before, please please please try some. They are light and sweet, what happens when the springy flavor of peas marries the crunch of romaine lettuce – a “more interesting spinach,” as James says! Sadly, I’m a little late to the game, as pea shoot season is coming to an end. You might still be able to find some, though, and restaurants will probably still have it on their menu.

Not surprisingly, pea shoots are the very young, tender vines of the pea plant. Each shoot is about a few inches long, and consists of a stem, leaves branching from that stem, and little tendrils curling from the leaves. As I mentioned, they’re fairly seasonal, and are freshest and most abundant in the spring or early summer, when the pea plants are just starting to mature. When they’re available, they’re omnipresent in Chinese restaurants and Asian supermarkets. That’s where I buy them, although farmers markets are a good bet too.

You’ll want to look for pea shoots that are fresh, bright, green, and free from bruised or wilted leaves. They could also be labeled as pea tendrils, pea greens, or pea tips. The central stem should look crisp and tender. Older shoots will have a thicker stem, which tends to start look a bit leathery – avoid these if possible, as the shoots will be tougher and chewier to eat. Pea shoots are a rather delicate vegetable, and should be used within a few days of purchase. If you see the leaves wilting or the shoots turning mushy or discolored, you’ll want to use them immediately!

Pea shoots are very versatile, but I like them best sautéed with lots and lots of fresh garlic. Here’s a picture of them with beef chow fun for a surprisingly easy and delicious dinner!

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Sautéed Pea Shoots with Garlic

Ingredients

• Pea shoots, about 1 pound for four side servings
• Canola, vegetable, grapeseed, or other neutral oil
• 4 (or more) cloves garlic, minced
• Salt

Instructions

1. Wash the pea shoots in cold, running water. I usually just swish the pea shoots around in a large bowl of water, rubbing the leaves periodically to loosen any dirt. Drain the water (the easiest way is to dump the pea shoots into a colander), and repeat a couple of times. Don't bother drying off the pea shoots after the final rinse.

2. You can trim off any particularly tough or thick stems, if you desire. I don't usually do this, but if you do, you'll ensure that the greens will be as tender as possible. 

3. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

4. Add the pea shoots and season with a few dashes of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pea shoots are tender and softened, and have darkened in color to a deep green, about 3-5 minutes. 

   Some Notes:

   If your pot is too small, like mine, I cover it after adding the pea shoots to ensure a more even cooking process. Just stir occasionally if you cover the pot.

   Also if your pot is too small, just add as many pea shoots as you can at first. Once the pea shoots have cooked down a bit, add the remaining shoots and keep stirring to cook and combine.

   If the pot looks dry, add a splash of water to help steam-sauté the shoots.