Baby Bok Choy

A friend mentioned she'd never have tried to make baby bok choy, or even buy it in general, but that the photo I took looked pretty good... so here's the demystified recipe! Baby bok choy is, well, cute! Not every market carries it, and mature bok choy will not yield the same results. It's a great option in the dark, leafy greens category, but without the bitterness other lettuces have. And in case you're worried about texture, it's fantastic-- not watery, not mushy, not stringy (and that's coming from someone who, as a child, asked my mom to take the bones out of celery). It is worth a try, and kids will love it, seriously. Just take the stalks apart after cooking and it's a kiddie finger food. My favorite, really simple way of making it is putting it in a not-too-shallow saute or frying pan. You can see in the photo at left that I was making three for dinner. About one per person as a side dish; I typically use it as the vegetable for a dinner meal. For 3, I initially used 1/4 cup light salted butter. You can add more if the pan begins to seem dry or the butter in the pan gets darker/nuttier (you don't want a brown butter sauce for this). The butter won't even really be a sauce when you're done. The baby bok choy will just be silky and buttery but not greasy. Start with everything in a cold pan, and heat on the stove to medium-low. Salt the baby bok choy just a bit to help it release a little of its moisture. This will take a while, but is SO worth it! Every 3 minutes or so, turn the baby bok choy. I find that putting the base in the middle of the pan at the hottest point works best, since it's more dense than the leafy tops. You can (and should!) eat the entire thing-- base and all. When everything feels soft, and slightly gives or bends when you pick it up with a pair of tongs, about 25-35 minutes, it's good to go! It's an excellent veggie to balance strong flavors like steak or lamb, or pair with sweet proteins like scallops or lobster for an unctuous, indulgent dinner with added vitamin D!