Broccolini with Oyster Sauce and Toasted Panko Breadcrumbs

This recipe is our twist on the classic Chinese restaurant favorite of Broccoli with Oyster Sauce. The typical recipe uses Chinese Broccoli, which can be a little difficult to get your hands on. So, instead of Chinese Broccoli we’re placing it with Broccolini! That wonderful fresh vegetable that has a beautiful snap and crisp texture. In our Broccolini with Oyster Sauce recipe we’ll show you how to make a simple yet delicious Oyster Sauce to pour all over the perfectly cooked Broccolini. Topping it all off for even more texture are some beautiful, buttery toasted Panko breadcrumbs

There are three different cooking elements required when making Broccolini with Oyster Sauce

This recipe is very easy to make at home, however it does require a little bit of planning. That is due to there being three separate cooking elements / techniques required. Don’t worry, they’re all super-easy! Just follow our recipe and prepare the elements in the right order and you’ll be rewarded with an easy and delicious Broccolini dish

The first element to make is the Toasted Panko Breadcrumbs. We like to do this first as it can be served at room temperature. So, you can make them in advance and set them aside. They are also simply served as the final garnish to the dish, so you can even just place the Breadcrumbs on the serving table once they’re done

Preparing the Toasted Breadcrumbs

We recommend using Panko Breadcrumbs for this recipe. Their thicker, crunchier texture works great when paired with the Broccolini and they absorb the Butter better than any other breadcrumb type. To make the Breadcrumbs, start by melting a generous amount of Butter in a saucepan over medium heat. About 20g is enough for ½ cup of Breadcrumbs, and will yield more than enough for this recipe

Allow the Butter to melt and turn golden-brown. Not to the point that its getting to ‘burnt butter’ territory but allow it to at least caramelize a little bit. Then, in goes the Breadcrumbs! I recommend stirring it immediately as the Breadcrumbs will begin to soak up the Butter. You want all the breadcrumbs to get a good dose of Butter on them

Continue to stir and allow the Breadcrumbs to turn a right golden-brown color. This will take about 3 – 4 minutes but stir constantly and keep your eyes on them. Once at the right color, remove them immediately from the pan and place them into a serving bowl. Then set aside and bring out a new frying pan for the remaining 2 elements of the dish

Steam the Broccolini in a frying pan

There’s no need for any fancy steamers, just use a frying pan with a lid! This is a surefire technique to get perfectly steamed Vegetables at home, and for Broccolini this technique works great for keeping the beautiful texture intact

Heat the pan over medium heat and then spread out the Broccolini so that it’s not overlapping. It can a little bit but try to use as much surface area as possible in the pan. Add about 1 cup of Water and then immediately cover with a lid

The Water will turn to steam and since it’s all covered, will begin to steam the Vegetables. You can shake the pan around a little bit to get the Broccolini moving, but it’s not entirely necessary. After 5 minutes then Broccolini will turn a brilliant bright green color and be just cooked

At this stage, remove the Broccolini from the pan and set them aside. I like to place them on paper towels to remove any excess Water. Remove any remaining Water from the frying pan before placing it back over the heat as we move onto the final step

Making the beautiful Oyster Sauce

This Sauce is so easy to make and really is just a combination of ingredients that are mixed over some heat. You’ll need a few specialty Asian ingredients for this dish, but likely most of them you’ll already have in your pantry. If not, you can find them at the store, and definitely at a specialty Asian grocery store

The recipe asks for Oyster Sauce (obviously), along with Garlic, Dark Soy Sauce, Chinese Vinegar, Sesame Oil, a Corn Starch Slurry, plus a little bit of Sugar and Salt. You can replace the Chinese Vinegar with Rice Wine Vinegar if you prefer, but some Vinegar is needed to break up the sweetness in the sauce

Add the Garlic to the pan along with a little Sesame Oil and cook it through until fragrant. Then, simply add the remaining ingredients to the pan and cook them while stirring continuously. After a few minutes the Sauce will thicken and large, almost toffee-type Bubbles will start to form. This means it’s done! Remove the Sauce from the heat and it’s time to serve

Plating the Broccolini with Oyster Sauce Dish

You can really plate this dish any way you want, but the traditional method is to stack the Vegetable on a plate and then pour over a generous amount of Oyster Sauce. Be generous with the Oyster Sauce and serve what’s left as a side sauce with a spoon. This way people can spoon on more of that delicious Sauce if they want

Finish the dish by sprinkling over a generous quantity of the Toasted Breadcrumbs on top. Like the Sauce, you can serve the leftover Breadcrumbs in a separate bowl for people to add more as they please. Trust us on this one, people are going to be adding more Breadcrumbs. They’re so tasty, and pair perfectly with the Broccolini with Oyster Sauce

Broccolini with Oyster Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 Bunches of Broccolini (approximately 10 pieces)
• 1 cup of Water
• 4 Garlic Cloves, finely diced
• 3 tbsp. Oyster Sauce
• 2 tsp. Dark Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp. Chinese Vinegar / Rice Wine Vinegar
• ½ tsp. Sesame Oil
• Corn Starch Slurry (½ tsp. Corn Starch mixed with 2 tsp. of Water)
• ½ tsp. Sugar
• ½ tsp. Salt
  
  

Toasted Breadcrumbs Ingredients

• ½ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
• 20g Butter
  
  

Instructions

1. Melt the Butter in a saucepan over medium heat until a beautiful golden-brown color. Add the Panko Breadcrumbs and stir continuously
2. Once the Breadcrumbs turn golden-brown (approximately 3 – 4 minutes), remove from the heat and set aside
3. Heat a large Saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the Broccolini and spread it out over the pan. Pour in Water then cover and allow to Steam for 5 minutes until the Broccolini is just cooked and turns a bright green color
4. Remove Broccolini and set aside. In the same pan remove any excess water then add the Sesame Oil and Garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds then add the remaining Ingredients
5. Allow the sauce to simmer and continue to cook until reduced and thickened (about 2 minutes). Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary
6. To serve, stack the Broccolini on a plate then pour over a generous amount of the Sauce. Finish with a sprinkle of Breadcrumbs and serve with the remaining Sauce in a separate bowl
   
   

Recipe Notes

• You can replace the Broccolini with Chinese Broccoli for the authentic recipe
• The Sauce is best served immediately, but can be prepared in advance and refrigerated (it will keep for about 1 day in the fridge)
  
  

That’s our simple, yet amazing recipe for homemade Broccolini with Oyster Sauce and Toasted Panko Breadcrumbs. The combination of flavors in this dish are rich and vibrant, making for a great Vegetable Side Dish to enjoy at any time

For more wonderful Vegetable Side Dishes such as this one, check out these favorites of ours:

• Mexican Street Corn
• Split Peas with Bacon
• Japanese Pickled Radishes
• Oven Roasted Fennel
  
  

Happy Cooking!