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“Spicy as you want ‘em” Szechuan Green Beans

My green bean story starts at a young age, when I was served your typical canned green beans that are mushy and flavorless.  This variety of serving green beans really killed them for me until a friend of mine introduced me to the wonders of seasoning green beans with Asian flavors and not just your typical butter and salt method.

There are certain vegetables that are just simply better with Asian flavors.  Nowadays, Szechuan Green Beans are a must for me in any Chinese Food order.  I actually consider the quality of a Chinese or Szechuan restaurant by its green beans (and broccoli of course).  They should be crispy, crunchy and spicy – a perfect accompaniment to your protein and starch.

The French are famous for serving ‘Haricots Verts’ alongside their protein, usually cooked in butter and befriended with some sort of nut or fruit.  Here’s a good example of a French interpretation from the folks at Epicurious.  Green Bean casseroles are also popular, especially in the Southern states, though being a northern Yank, I can’t say that I’ve ever tasted a good quality green bean casserole.

But I prefer my Haricots with a little kick in the ass.  So I scrapped the herb butter and nuts for some good old Sriracha and Thai Fish Sauce.  One of the best parts of this dish is that it takes about 5 minutes to cook.  It would also make a great snack at any point in the day.  Here’s my take:

Ingredients:

• A good amount of Green Beans – around 30 to 40 total
• 2 cloves Garlic – minced
• 1 Tbsp. Ginger – grated
• 1/3 cup Red Onion or Shallot – finely diced
• A few grape Tomatoes (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. Sesame Seeds (optional)
• Sesame Oil to almost coat pan
• 2-3 Tbsp. Hoisin Sauce (Chinese BBQ sauce, available in most supermarkets)
• 1-2 Tbsp. Sriracha (adjust if you like it milder or spicier)
• 1 tsp. Thai Fish Sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce

Prepare an ice bath and a small pot of boiling water.  Quickly blanch the green beans in the water (about 1 minute will do) and then plunge them into the ice bath.

In a separate pan over medium heat, add the sesame oil, then the onion and cook for a minute or so until the onion browns just a little.  Add in the garlic, ginger and then the green beans and cook a for a minute or two.  You should then add in the Sriracha sauce and the Soy Sauce and mix together to combine.  Add in the Hoisin, fish sauce and sesame seeds last and mix together.  The Hoisin will be ver thick (like molasses), so give it some time to let the heat break it down and incorporate it with the rest of the ingredients. The green beans should be cooked through but still a little crunchy before you serve – eat immediately and enjoy!

Makes about 3 servings

Some other good looking Green Bean recipes:

Simply Recipes: Green Beans with Almonds and Thyme
Seasonal Chef: Green Beans with Tomato and Jalapeno
RecipeZaar: Green Bean and Ham Soup

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