← Nouns Cooking · Chinese

Ingredients

• 450 g Green beans, trimmed and dried very well
• 3 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
• 100 g Minced pork (optional)
• 6 Dried chillies, snipped into pieces
• ½ tsp whole Sichuan peppercorns
• 3 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Ginger, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Sui mi ya cai (Sichuan preserved mustard greens), rinsed (optional)
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp Sugar
• salt, to taste

Method

1. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the beans and fry, turning often, for 6–8 min, until the skins blister and wrinkle with brown patches. Tip them onto a plate.
2. Add the remaining oil. If using pork, fry it for 2–3 min until browned and slightly crisp.
3. Lower the heat to medium, add the chillies and Sichuan peppercorns and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant but not burnt.
4. Add the garlic, ginger and ya cai and stir for 30 seconds more.
5. Return the beans, add the wine, soy sauce and sugar and toss over high heat for 1–2 min until everything is coated and almost dry. Taste for salt and serve.

Tips

• The classic version includes the optional pork mince, which makes it no longer vegetarian.
• Wet beans splatter and steam: dry them thoroughly after washing.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Omnivore's Cookbook Made With Lau