Karl’s Sichuan Dry Fried Green Beans II

I am making Sichuan pepper tri-tip and I wanted a vegetable dish to go with it. It has been a while since I made dry fried green beans. I did not look at the recipe I posted four years ago, I just did what felt right.

Karl’s Sichuan Dry Fried Green Beans II

When I finally did look at the recipe as I was writing this up, I found that I had done it completely differently. Last time I used a technique shared by Diana of keeping the beans in constant motion, rather than stir fry the vegetables—tossing them every 10-15 seconds. This time—because I was doing other dishes—I left the beans to sear for about a minute and a half. Daughter Miriam is “off” garlic and onions at the moment, so I simplified the sauce as well.

After Dinner Note: The “burnt” skins added a very pleasant taste to this dish—see the Maillard reaction. There was barely a spoonful left at the end of dinner.

Karl’s Sichuan Dry Fried Green Beans II

Ingredients

1 lb. blue lake green beans
2 Tbs. peanut oil
pinch Kosher salt

¼ cup Sichuan pickle
½ tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced

Directions

1. Rinse the green beans and dry them thoroughly.

Tip:  Even a little water will cause the oil in the wok to splatter and burn your hands.

2. Cut the beans into 2-inch lengths.

3. Heat the oil, over a high heat, in a large heavy bottomed skillet, until shimmering.

Tip: Swirl the pan to evenly coat the sides and bottom.

4. Add the green beans and salt to the pan.

5. Toss the beans briefly—to coat them in the oil and to distribute the salt.

6. Leave the beans undisturbed for two minutes.

Tip: The under sides of the beans will start to wilt and the skins will begin to blister.

7. Toss the beans and leave them undisturbed for another two minutes.

Tip: Try to make sure that individual beans do not end up “cooked side” down.

8. Add the Sichuan pickle, sesame oil, and ginger to the beans.

Tip: Squeeze any remaining liquid from the Sichuan pickle package.

9. Stir-fry the vegetables until the pickles are fragrant and the beans are “crisp tender,” about another 1-2 minutes.

10. Transfer the vegetables to a serving plate and serve immediately.