Spicy Stir-Fried Green Beans
These green beans are the perfect side dish to a family-style spread.
Use this sauce as a template you can copy and paste onto other vegetables.
This formula would be great with things like asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, or gai lan (a type of dark leafy green vegetable common on Chinese dinner tables). The best technique for getting al dente vegetables which don’t turn to mush when you stir fry them is to blanch them. This is how all Chinese restaurants can produce the volume of food required in no time at all. My grandparents meticulously set up their mise en place before service which included loads of steamed or blanched vegetables so they can finish a stir-fry in a couple of minutes to stay ahead of orders.
What most people don’t tell you is that you don’t have to use a giant pot of boiling water to blanch your vegetables. You can easily do it in the microwave. Yes, you heard me, blanch in the microwave. This variation of the method is an easier way to partially cook the vegetables in order to maintain their deep green color and toothy texture. Simply boil the vegetables in water using the microwave just as you would with the full stove top set up; drain the water; and shock in ice. You may need to change your blanching time in the microwave. I would start by cooking in increments of two to three minutes and then check the doneness with a cake tester. If it goes in and comes out smoothly, they are ready to be stir fried.
For the chili crisp, feel free to use whichever brand you prefer. Some of my recent favorites listed below:
Fly by Jing, Sichuan Chili Crisp
Momofuku, Extra Spicy Chili Crunch
Lao Gan Ma, Spicy Chili Crisp
Serves 4
Ingredients for the Green Beans
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
1 lb green beans, tips removed
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 tablespoons chili crisp of choice
2 tablespoons fermented salted black beans
2 tablespoons oyster sauce, Lee Kum Kee brand
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sugar
White or black sesame seeds for garnish
Special Equipment
Wok
Wok spatula
Directions for the Green Beans
Rinse the fermented salted black beans in cold water. Do this a couple more times before cooking to remove some of the saltiness. Drain the black beans and set aside.
Place the green beans in a microwave-proof dish with a cover. You could also wrap in plastic before placing into the microwave. Cook on high for eight minutes. Quickly drain the water from the dish, replace with cold water, and top with ice cubes.
Preheat a wok to medium high heat. Add in a tablespoon of neutral cooking oil and stir fry the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds. Then, add in the chili crisp, drained fermented black beans and green beans. Toss in the aromatics for two minutes. Finally, add in the extra water, sugar, and oyster sauce. Cook for another two minutes before cutting off the heat. The green beans should have a bite but not be raw and crispy.
Transfer the green beans to a plate and top with the sesame seeds of your choice and enjoy!