🥗 Hong Kong-style quick and easy sweet and crispy lettuce with oyster sauce

Editor's Preface

Oyster sauce lettuce is a classic Hong Kong dinner staple, a staple at every cha chaan teng (tea restaurant). Fresh, crisp, and easy to cook, it's tossed in a fragrant oyster sauce—a simple yet incredibly popular dish! I've tried several recipes and found that the key to an authentic Hong Kong-style dish is quick blanching, a fragrant sauce, and a well-balanced vegetable. Let's share my secrets, step by step!

Ingredients preparation

• 1 head of romaine lettuce (or local Chinese lettuce, butter lettuce, etc.)

• 2 cloves of garlic (minced)

• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce

• 0.5 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 2-3 tablespoons of Hericium erinaceus broth/water

• 1 tablespoon oil

• salt to taste

• 1 tsp cornstarch (add water to make a thick sauce)

• A few drops of sesame oil (add when finished)

• (Optional) chopped green onions/sesame seeds for garnish

Detailed steps

🥬 1. Process lettuce to keep it green

• Tear the lettuce into slices or cut into large pieces, and wash it thoroughly with water (you can soak it in a little salt or vinegar to remove insects).

• Bring water to a boil in a pot, add 1 teaspoon of salt and a few drops of oil.

• Place the lettuce in boiling water over high heat and blanch for 7 to 12 seconds (to keep it crisp). Remove from the heat, sprinkle with cold water to drain, and set aside on a plate.

• Editor’s tip: Rinse with cold water immediately after blanching to keep the lettuce green and crisper without turning yellow!

🧄 2. Sauté the minced garlic until fragrant and make the sauce

• Heat oil in a pan and sauté minced garlic (remember to use low heat to avoid burning).

• Add oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar and broth, and bring to a simmer (you can add water to adjust the thickness).

• Mix cornstarch with water, pour in the sauce in batches and cook until thick. Add a drop of sesame oil to enhance the flavor before turning off the heat.

🍛 3. Pour sauce on the dish

• Pour the sautéed oyster sauce evenly over the lettuce. If you want it to look more attractive, sprinkle with chopped green onions or white sesame seeds.

• The hot and spicy food comes on stage immediately to ensure that the lettuce is crisp and tender without being soggy.

Editor's Tips

• Choose a strong-flavored Hong Kong brand of oyster sauce (Taoda, Lee Kum Kee), and add a teaspoon of sugar to balance the flavor.

• Remember to be quick when flying in the water, don't be too slow.

• Sauté the minced garlic over low heat until fragrant; if it smells burnt, it will turn bitter.

• You can use oyster sauce if you don’t eat garlic.

• Some people will sprinkle a drop or two of cooking oil on the dish at the end to make the lettuce shiny and more attractive.

Eating experience 😋

Each piece of lettuce is covered with fragrant oyster sauce, which makes it green, crisp, slightly garlicky, sweet and refreshing. It is a must-have on the dining table and a versatile and effortless choice!

summary

Even beginners can make oyster sauce lettuce with 100% success! It's quick, time-saving, and healthy, a must-have for Hong Kong-style home cooking! 🥗🧄🍲 Want to know how to stir-fry lettuce, shrimp paste lettuce, plum sauce lettuce, or even a vegetable side dish? Feel free to ask our editor for more tips!