Fish Sauce and Garlic Sure Make One Amazing Combination!
I often cook vegetables simply with oil, garlic, and salt. However, this time I tried a recipe calling for fish sauce as well and the flavor of the dish was extraordinary!
Below are some links to more details, including photos:
My Story
When I was shopping at a nearby supermarket, I saw Ong Choy on sale. Even though I’ve eaten it a few times before, I’ve never cooked it. Since I enjoyed the flavor of this vegetable previously, I decided to buy it and find a recipe for it later when I got home.
Inspiring Recipe
What I found was the recipe, Stir Fried Ong Choy, from a blog, Onolicious Hawaii. Making this dish would allow me to use the special ingredient, fish sauce, for the second time. The first time that I cooked with this condiment was with chicken.
First Try
Having purchased the vegetable, I was ready to cook after gathering the remaining ingredients in my kitchen.
Ingredients to Use
The four items on the recipe were straightforward, so I didn’t have to make any substitutions or conversions.
Steps to Prepare
Regarding the instructions, I made a couple of minor adjustments as follows:
- Step 2 – Started cooking the garlic for 1 minute in a wok instead of a large saucepan
- Step 4 – Sautéed everything for an extra minute, totaling 2 minutes, so the leaves and stems would be softer
Time to Eat
Here’s a plate of Ong Choy ready to be devoured!
Recipe Rating
Below are the results of the recipe after the first try:
| # of Ingredients | Effort | $ / Serving | Try Again? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 * |  | | |
The leaves came out with the right level of softness and flavor, but the stems could’ve maybe used an extra minute of cooking. Nonetheless, the taste from the salty fish sauce and garlic mixed together was unforgettable!
Second Try
For the second round, I wanted to focus on cooking the stems until they were more tender than before.
Ingredients to Use
I kept the ingredients the same as the first attempt.
Steps to Prepare
For the process, the second try differed from the first one as follows:
- Step 3 – Sautéed the stems for an extra minute, bringing it to a total of 3 minutes
- Step 4 – Sautéed everything for an extra 3 minutes, totaling 4 minutes
Time to Eat
As shown in the photo below, the Ong Choy is more wilted than the first plate.
Recipe Rating
Below are the results of the recipe from the second attempt:
| # of Ingredients | Effort | $ / Serving | Try Again? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 * | | | |
The Ong Choy still had good flavor, but due to the longer cooking time, it wasn’t as bright green as before. In addition, the stems were still a little crunchy.
Comparing the results of both attempts at stir-frying Ong Choy, I prefer the look of the first plate, so I will try the following next time:
Continuous Improvement
- Don’t overcook the stems.
After cooking Ong Choy a couple of times, I learned that this vegetable is crunchier than others, so I would like to share the following with my younger self:
Lesson for Dumber Self
- Certain things are meant to be a certain way.
What will you do now?
Next Step for You
- Try the recipe, Stir Fried Ong Choy, from a blog, Onolicious Hawaii?
- Share your favorite Ong Choy recipe?
- Ask a question or leave a note in the Comment box below about this post?