Wok-Seared Long Beans with Garlic
Chinese long beans, also known as yard-long beans and snake beans, will delight kids and impress adults, making them a festive part of a Lunar New Year celebration. Look for them at farmers’ markets and Asian groceries, where they are often sold tied into bundles. Vary the quantity of chili paste according to your taste; add more if you prefer a spicier dish.
Ingredients:
- Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 lb. (750 g) Chinese long beans, trimmed
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) canola oil
- 10 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) toasted sesame oil
- 2 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds
- 2 Tbs. chili paste
- 2 Tbs. soy sauce
Directions:
Have a large bowl of ice water ready.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the water, add the long beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain the beans and transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking, then drain again. Pat the beans dry with paper towels.
In a large fry pan or wok over high heat, warm the canola oil until just smoking. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes. (Be careful not to let the garlic turn dark brown of it will turn bitter.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.
Carefully pour off the oil from the pan. Return the pan to medium-high heat and add the sesame oil. Add half of the sesame seeds and cook, stirring, until toasted, about 1 minute. Add the blanched long beans to the pan cook, stirring frequently, until the beans are just beginning to darken in color and are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the chili paste and soy sauce and stir to coat. Transfer the beans to a serving platter, sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds and fried garlic and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen