Sesame Ginger Green Beans

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large wok or 12-inch cast iron skillet
• •Microplane or fine grater for ginger
• •Small prep bowls for aromatics

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the sauce

   Whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and honey in a small bowl. Set this near the stove. Stir-frying moves fast, and fumbling for ingredients once the wok is screaming hot leads to burnt garlic and regret. Have your minced ginger and garlic in separate small dishes, your scallions sliced, your sesame seeds measured. This mise en place takes two minutes and saves your dish.

   Use low-sodium soy sauce. Regular soy can make the finished dish taste more of salt than of ginger and sesame.
2. 2

   Dry the beans thoroughly

   Pat your trimmed green beans aggressively with paper towels until completely dry. Water is the enemy of the char you're seeking. Wet vegetables steam; dry vegetables sear. You want those beautiful blistered spots that speak of wok hei, that elusive breath of the wok that Chinese cooks prize. Spread the beans on a sheet pan lined with towels and let them air dry while you heat the pan.

   Haricots verts work beautifully here if you prefer a more delicate bean. Reduce cooking time by about a minute.
3. 3

   Heat the wok blazing hot

   Set a large wok or twelve-inch cast iron skillet over high heat. Let it heat for a full two minutes until a drop of water vaporizes on contact. Add the vegetable oil and swirl to coat. The oil should shimmer immediately and begin to smoke lightly within seconds. This is the moment. Hesitation means soggy beans.

4. 4

   Blister the green beans

   Add the green beans in a single layer as much as possible. Let them sit undisturbed for sixty seconds. You'll hear aggressive sizzling and see char marks developing on the undersides. Toss or stir vigorously, then let them sit another thirty seconds. Continue this pattern for three to four minutes total until the beans are blistered in spots, bright green, and crisp-tender when you bite one. They should squeak between your teeth.

   If your beans crowd the pan, work in two batches. Overcrowding drops the temperature and steams the vegetables instead of charring them.
5. 5

   Bloom the aromatics

   Push the beans to one side of the wok. Add the garlic and ginger to the cleared space. Let them sizzle for fifteen seconds until fragrant, no longer. Burnt garlic is bitter garlic. Toss everything together quickly so the aromatics coat the beans. You'll smell that intoxicating combination of toasted ginger and char.

6. 6

   Add sauce and finish

   Pour the sauce mixture over the beans. It will sputter and steam dramatically. Toss constantly for thirty seconds as the liquid reduces to a glossy coating. The sauce should cling to the beans rather than pool in the bottom of the wok. Remove from heat immediately. Add the red pepper flakes if using, and toss once more.

7. 7

   Garnish and serve

   Transfer to a warm serving platter. Scatter the toasted sesame seeds generously over the top, then the sliced scallions. Serve immediately while the beans still glisten and the sesame perfumes the air. These wait for no one.

Chef Tips

• •Toast your own sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking constantly, until golden and fragrant. Pre-toasted seeds from the jar taste stale by comparison. Three minutes of attention yields a significant improvement.
• •Seek out young, slender green beans with no visible seeds bulging through the pods. Older beans turn mealy and lose that satisfying snap. Farmers markets in summer offer beans picked that morning.
• •Fresh ginger should be firm and heavy for its size, with taut skin. Wrinkled ginger has dried out and lost its punch. Store ginger in the freezer; frozen ginger grates beautifully and keeps for months.
• •This recipe doubles easily for a crowd, but you must work in batches. A crowded wok becomes a steamer. Two batches of properly charred beans beat one batch of limp green disappointment.

Advance Preparation

• •The sauce can be whisked together up to three days ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.
• •Green beans can be trimmed and dried up to one day ahead. Store wrapped in paper towels inside a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
• •For potlucks, cook the beans just until barely tender, underdressing them slightly. Transport in a container separate from garnishes. They'll hold at room temperature for an hour; scatter sesame and scallions just before serving.
• •Leftovers are surprisingly good cold the next day, tossed into a grain bowl or eaten straight from the container while standing at the refrigerator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 145g)