Return to Main Recipes Page/Return to Home Page

Green Beans, Sichuan (P, TNT)
Source: adapted from Cooks Illustrated #84
Serves: 4 as a side dish, 2 as a main course

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon white pepper, ground
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound green beans, ends trimmed, cut into 2" pieces
1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, minced or 1/2 pound firm tofu, diced
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
3 scallions, white and light green parts, sliced thin
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

In a small bowl (about 1 cup or more) stir together soy sauce, sherry, sugar, corn starch, white pepper, pepper flakes, mustard, and water until sugar dissolves. Set aside.

Heat oil in a 12" non-stick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add beans and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender and skins are shriveled and blackened in spots, about 5 to 8 minutes. (Reduce heat to medium high if beans darken too quickly.) Transfer beans to a large plate.

Reduce heat to medium-high and add mushrooms or tofu to now-empty skillet. Cook until moisture released from mushrooms or tofu has evaporated. Add garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 15 to 20 seconds.

Stir sauce to recombine and return beans to pan with sauce. Toss and cook until sauce is thickened, 5 to 10 seconds. Remove pan from heat and stir in scallions and sesame oil.

Serve immediately, over rice.

Poster's Notes:
I: - used tofu
- substituted potato starch for the cornstarch
- used the whole scallion, chopped
- didn't have sherry, so used some rice wine
- used a wok instead of a fry pan. Could have used less oil.
- didn't see the part about the rice before I started, so made some quick Asian wheat noodles in the wok with 6 cups of water.
- before the noodles went in, I steamed some broccoli and anise to go with.

Between my daughter and I, there was enough left over for my husband when he came home from school.

Posted by Maxine Wolfson

Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A