Following up on my Mother's Day post, here's a recipe for garlicky green beans similar to the ones we had at Mulan. We love the basic recipe, but there are lots of variations, too. You can add 1 tablespoon of chopped scallions and/or minced fresh ginger. You can add a splash of toasted sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Or you can heat things up with a half teaspoon of sriracha or some sliced fresh chilies. It's all good.
Garlicky Green Beans
The kids used to hate green beans prepared this way, but now they love them. Huzzah!
1 pound green beans or Chinese long beans, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon hoisin sauce (or honey)
1 tablespoon rice wine or white wine (or water)
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
Pinch of kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat, and sauté the green beans, tossing occasionally, for about 7 minutes or until they blister and brown in places but are still crisp-tender, not mushy. Remove the green beans to a plate.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and rice wine. Set aside. Add the garlic to the hot pan and stir-fry for about 20 seconds until fragrant but not browning. Add the beans and sauce, and stir until heated through and the sauce reduces to a thick glaze, 1 to 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
These beans sound delicious! I can't wait until the new summer crop of green beans starts to creep into our farmer's market. :)
Posted by: Eileen | May 17, 2013 at 01:54 PM
i am so excited you devised this recipe because the green beans are just about my favorite thing at mulan (there are lots of favorites to choose from there - that place is GREAT). does this go with Veinticinco de Mayo?
Posted by: snippyscissors | May 18, 2013 at 10:08 AM
I made these yesterday they were delicious!
Posted by: jen | May 20, 2013 at 01:45 PM
jen: So glad you liked them! Thanks for reporting back!!
snippyscissors: These are not to deter you from multiple trips to Mulan, but it's nice to have options, you know? Looking forward to Veinticinco de Mayo!
Eileen: I know what you mean. I really crave that farm-fresh produce at this time of year. Won't be long now!
Posted by: Tammy | May 21, 2013 at 07:11 AM