Oyster Sauce Lettuce
A quick and easy Cantonese home-style dish. Blanched lettuce is topped with a savory oyster sauce glaze, resulting in a crisp, tender texture and umami-rich taste that's slightly sweet. Ready in 5 minutes, it's a refreshing dish for summer meals.
Ingredients
9 items- Lettuce 300g
- Oyster sauce 2 tbsp
- Light soy sauce 1 tbsp
- White sugar 1 tsp
- Cornstarch 1/2 tsp
- Water 3 tbsp
- Cooking oil 1 tbsp
- Garlic 2 cloves
- Green onion a little
Nutrition
Steps （5 steps）
Prepare lettuce: Separate lettuce leaves, rinse under running water to remove dirt, especially at the base. Drain well. If leaves are large, tear them in half. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil.
Make sauce: In a small bowl, combine oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch and water. Stir until sugar and cornstarch dissolve completely, forming a smooth sauce. Taste and adjust if needed. Set aside.
Blanch lettuce: In a large pot, bring plenty of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tsp salt and a few drops of oil (to keep lettuce vibrant). Place lettuce in a strainer and lower into boiling water, using chopsticks to stir. Blanch for about 20 seconds until lettuce softens and turns bright green. Quickly remove, drain well, and arrange neatly on a plate.
Cook the sauce: Discard the water from the pot, wipe dry, and place over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp oil. If using garlic, add and sauté for about 10 seconds until fragrant. Then turn to high heat, pour in the sauce, and stir rapidly. Cook until the sauce bubbles and thickens (about 30 seconds) and can coat the back of a spoon. Turn off heat.
Pour sauce and serve: Pour the cooked sauce evenly over the lettuce. Garnish with chopped green onion or red pepper shreds if desired. Serve immediately while lettuce is still warm for the best texture.
Tips
Do not blanch lettuce too long, as it will lose crispness; 20 seconds is ideal. Do not use too much cornstarch, or the sauce will become too thick. You can prepare the sauce first and then blanch lettuce, but pour the sauce immediately after to keep lettuce warm. Oyster sauce is already salty, so use light soy sauce and salt sparingly. For extra fragrance, add a few drops of sesame oil or garlic oil.
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