Green beans typically are not the most memorable part of a meal. On their own, their mild flavor often takes a back seat to other, more assertively flavored ingredients or dishes.
Typically steamed, boiled or sautéed, the mildness of beans makes them a good choice for kids who are being coaxed into eating their veggies. But grown-up palates may long for something more interesting, and Blistered Green Beans with Red Chile and Crispy Shallots certainly delivers.
I was well into adulthood before I tried the stir-fried (or blistered) green beans from my favorite Chinese restaurant. Cooked in an ultrahot wok, these flavor-packed beans were charred in spots, which gave them a slight bittersweetness, and tender — even a little shriveled — but not mushy.
The technique turned out to be quick and easy, making it the go-to method whenever I'm serving green beans.
I start with soaking my green beans in cold water. Actually, I do this no matter how I'm cooking them, as it livens up even the less-than-fresh beans, giving them an added crispness.
From there, they go right into a hot skillet or wok, along with a little oil and salt, and are cooked until they are dark brown in spots. Smaller beans may get wrinkly and softer than the bigger ones, but that's OK. A little textural variety is nice.
While they don't need anything else to be delicious, sometimes I like to take them a step or two further and give them a Southeast Asian twist. To do this, I add a little fish sauce, lime juice and a hot red chile at the end of the cooking process. I also fry some thinly sliced shallots (in the same skillet, so no extra cleanup) to sprinkle over the top.
The combination results in an addictive dish that will turn even the most vegetable-averse diner into a green bean lover.
