Yu Choy with Oyster Sauce (蚝油油菜)

Yu choy is the sweetest of the Chinese leafy greens, noticeably sweeter and milder than its more famous cousin gai lan. The stems are tender and juicy, the leaves soft and mild, and the small yellow flowers that sometimes appear at the tips are edible and faintly honey-scented. It is the green that people who think they do not like Chinese greens end up liking.

This preparation is about as minimal as cooking gets. Blanch the yu choy for 30 seconds in boiling water with a splash of oil. Plate it. Pour a warm sauce of oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil over the top. That is the entire recipe. You will see this dish at dim sum restaurants next to plates of char siu and har gow, sitting quietly on the table doing exactly what it is supposed to do: providing something fresh and green to balance everything else.

The technique has one detail that makes the difference between a good result and a watery one. After blanching and plating, water will pool under the greens on the plate. Pour it off before adding the sauce. If you skip this step, the sauce dilutes and you lose the glossy, concentrated coating that makes this dish satisfying rather than bland. It is the kind of small thing that Chinese grandmothers do without thinking and that recipes often forget to mention.