Name: Stir-Fried Pea Greens with Garlic
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 pound pea greens , trimmed, divided; 1⁄4 cup vegetable oil , divided; 4 garlic cloves , sliced thin, divided; 1⁄2 teaspoon salt , divided

Why This Recipe Works

Pea greens, also known as pea leaves or pea tips (not to be confused with young pea shoots), are the leaves of mature snow pea plants. Their snappy stems and hearty leaves are ideal for high-heat cooking; at Chinese restaurants, they are commonly stir-fried with garlic and served as a side dish to plain rice, spicy meats, and fresh seafood. To keep them succulent and tender-crisp, we employed the traditional Chinese technique of stir-frying in a thoroughly heated wok. We bloomed the garlic in plenty of oil before flash-cooking the greens in batches, adding salt at the end to prevent liquid from escaping the greens early on. The result is a fresh, verdant dish that imparts plenty of bright spring flavor. Want more? Read the full story.

Before You Begin

The pea greens called for in this recipe should be mature pea greens, sometimes sold as pea tips, snow pea tips, or pea leaves and not to be confused with smaller, more delicate pea greens sold as pea sprouts, pea tendrils, or pea shoots. If you can't find pea greens, you can substitute curly-leaf spinach; reduce the second cooking time in step 3 to 30 seconds.

Instructions

Working in batches, wash pea greens and spin in salad spinner until leaves are dry; transfer to large bowl. (If you don't have a salad spinner, pat pea greens dry with clean dish towel and squeeze thoroughly to remove excess water.)

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 14-inch wok or 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add half of garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant but still pale in color, about 30 seconds.

Add half of pea greens and cook, stirring constantly, until leaves are wilted and stems are bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in ¼ teaspoon salt and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until stems are crisp-tender yet flexible, about 1 minute; transfer to serving platter.

Wipe wok clean with paper towels and repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil, remaining garlic, remaining pea greens, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Serve.