Compared with standard chives, garlic chives (also known as Chinese leeks) are longer and thicker, and, unlike their tubular cousins, feature a flat leaf. They boast, unsurprisingly, a distinctly garlicky taste, but with a mellower bite than their namesakes. Garlic chives are also more versatile (and less delicate) in that they can pull double duty as both a potent aromatic and a leafy green. In this recipe, they join juicy shrimp and thinly sliced jalapeños in a stir-fry that comes together in less time than it takes to cook rice. Your dinner plates will be scraped clean even faster, ready for seconds.
Test Kitchen Tip: Garlic chives will often be sold in robust bundles from about 6–12 oz. Don’t be afraid to use the entire bunch in your cooking, especially in a stir-fry, where they’ll wilt down in a flash. Their shelf life will be similar to that of scallions, which you can swap in here if you have trouble finding garlic chives. Cut into 2″ pieces and slice the whites in half lengthwise. They will take an additional 30–60 seconds to cook.
