You won’t find Stir-Fried Kailan with Dried Fish at many restaurants. If you do, don’t hesitate to order it. It offers a unique, briny, umami burst in every bite. The tender leaves of the kailan and crisp stems are lightly seasoned, allowing the dried fish to flavor the entire dish.
My family frequented Newport Seafood Restaurant since they were a humble hole-in-the-wall eatery in the early 90s. The owners always recognized us and confidently filled out our order slip from memory; Canh Chua Ca (catfish soup), Ca Kho To (braised catfish), Bo Luc Lac (shaken beef) , and you guessed it… Kailan with Dried Fish.
Kailan or Chinese broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables. Add in bits of dried fish and it's elevated to the next level. This recipe is very lightly seasoned with the dried fish doing most of the heavy lifting. Once fried, the dried fish instantly releases its concentrated flavors into the sauce.
Tips on Choosing Kailan
If you’re lucky, you'll have a couple of options to choose from when buying kailan; regular kailan and baby kailan (or sometimes called kailan miu). If possible, choose baby kailan for this recipe. As the name suggests, it’s a younger version of the vegetable which yields very tender leaves and stems. Kailan has a slight bitterness to it, similar to that of collard greens. The bitterness in baby kailan is muted and and has a higher level of sweeness.
If you can't find baby kailan, regular kailan will work. When prepping older kailan, I recommend peeling the thick stems to get rid of the tough skin then cutting into thin slices.
What Type of Dried Fish to Use?
We typically use dried, salted croaker filets for this recipe. It has a nice slightly chewy texture when cooked. It is a dried product; however, it's typically found in the refrigerated section.
To prepare the dried fish, using scissors and cut the dried fish filets into 1 cm strips. Soak it for about 20 minutes, then squeeze out the excess liquid before stir-frying. This removes some of the saltiness and slightly rehydrates it.
Ingredients
- 1 lb kailan, cut into 2" lengths
- 1-2 pieces of salted dried croaker, cut into ½" strips
- 3 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- ¼ cup chicken stock or water
Instructions
- Prep the salted fish by soaking in water for 20 minutes. Gently squeeze out the excess liquid and cut into ½ inch strips.
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the kailan and quickly blanche for 5 seconds. Drain and set aside.
- Heat a wok over high heat until it begins to get smokey. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl it around to coat the wok.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the garlic and dried fish. Stir-fry until the garlic begins to change color.
- Turn the heat back to high, add the blanched kailan and give it a couple of stirs.
- Add shaoxing wine and oyster sauce and stir fry a few times.
- Finally, add chicken stock (or water) and stir fry until the sauce comes to a boil.
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