10/22/07

干煸四季豆
or
Sichuan "dry fried" green beans


This is an easy dish with a distinctive, delicious taste. It's a 酸菜, or sour dish, so it pairs well with something a little spicy and sweet. It's common in restaurants in Beijing, although it can be too oily or soggy if made poorly. Everything to make this can be easily found outside of China, so happy cooking!

you'll need

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about 1 1/2 lb or so green beans, untrimmed
half medium daikon or "oriental" radish, finely shredded
green onion, about 10 springs
Japanese rice vinegar or white vinegar
salt
dried red chili
1/4 cup fatty pork or bacon, sliced thin
couple drops mustard oil
good Chinese cooking wine
peanut/veggie oil or animal oil (for frying)
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Add about 1/2 cup vinegar to radish. Toss and set aside.

In a wok heat some peanut oil, about a cup, and a 1/2 tb salt. Add washed, then well toweled, green beans in batches and toss gently. Cook for about 4 minutes until beans are "dried" looking and brown in spots. Once all are cooked, towel off very well and top with a few ice cubes to maintain crispness.

Empty oil from wok. Cook pork (coat very lightly in salt) or bacon, chili and green onion (only bottom white parts, no roots). Cook until pork is done through, then re-add beans and radish. Cook just until heated through. Serve topped with green onion.
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1 comment:

about us said...

Sichuan "dry fried" green beans sound so good and easy to make...this weekend may find me trying to conjure this here delicacy...

sorry about the slurping and shit; it's great that you don't have any real beef with china or its peeps though! ariel just sent me this great song about some isabel person who someone loves very much...! it's great, super synthed out central america, bachata like rythm and shit...wow.

will email later, about everything you wanted to discuss...to read about what you have going, makes me extremely excited! keep those writings, journals, stories, everything!!! something wonderful will come of it FOR SURE!