Sautéed watercress

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I don't know why I feel so compelled to write this post. After all, I barely have a recipe to propose. Simple ingredients simply prepared are sometimes more appealing to me than the complex integration of rare ingredients.

Here it is anyway, a Chinese classic: sautéed watercress with garlic. It resembles the equally simple chicory dish I made a few months ago but here the heat is key.

To prepare this delicious side dish, put a little bit of oil in a very hot pan or wok. I prefer peanut oil but feel free to use any oil which has a high smoking point. Add watercress to the pan along with some garlic. Stir often so that the watercress and the garlic do not burn. Add salt. Stir more and more and more… and then serve.

The very strong heat does wonders to the taste of watercress by adding a slightly toasty flavour. If your pan is so hot that everything burns however, just add a sprinkle of water to cool it down… this way at least you’ll save your watercress.