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Last Updated: Oct 26th, 2008 - 17:41:44 |
WOLFGANG PUCK'S KITCHEN: GETTING THE BEST FROM GREEN BEANS
By Wolfgang Puck
Right now, amateur gardeners and farmers' market fans are enjoying
summertime's abundant crop of green beans. There are classic, plump string beans of the sort you really have to string, snapping off both ends and zipping away the fibers that run along their seams; varieties of the slender, stringless, tender little beans the French call haricots vert; and even Chinese long beans, which look like small bundles of slender green rope.
Whatever the type or shape, in the Western world we always seem to cook green beans the same way, by boiling them in salted water until they're al dente, tender but still slightly firm to the bite - or sometimes overcooked until mushy. Then, we eat them plain; or tossed with butter and herbs; or dressed with sweet vinaigrette to make that old picnic standby, green bean salad.
I thought I'd seen it all as far as green beans are concerned, until the
early 1970s, the first time I ever ordered them in a Chinese restaurant. I couldn't believe it was the same vegetable. The beans had a flavor as
intense as their deep green color, were tender but marvelously crunchy, and had a slightly salty, slightly sweet glaze.
On my way home, I couldn't stop thinking about them. So I called the
restaurant's manager and asked how they were cooked.
"Fried," he said.
"Stir-fried?" I asked.
"No," he answered. "Deep-fried."
At first I thought he was joking. He explained that the beans were dropped into hot oil for just a few seconds - a process that quickly tenderizes them while brightening and setting their color, much as the European process of blanching does by dropping vegetables briefly in boiling water. Then, they were quickly stir-fried in their sauce over heat, until glazed and perfectly cooked.
As long as you use a deep-frying thermometer to ensure the oil is hot
enough, I learned, there's nothing greasy about the results. The beans have a fairly nonabsorbent surface, unlike the batters or breadcrumbs coating of most deep-fried foods.
Soon I'd developed my own version, adding garlic that I first quickly
double-blanched to make its flavor mild and sweet. They were a hit at
Chinois, my Asian fusion restaurant in Santa Monica. Even today, I serve them as a complimentary appetizer, at room temperature, for all guests at one of my newest restaurants, 20·21, at the Walker Art Center in
Minneapolis. That's how easy they are to make - and fun to eat!
When beans aren't in season, the recipe is delicious with pencil-thin
asparagus, too. You can also add some lean ground pork or chicken,
stir-fried and mixed with the sauce. However you do it, please give it a try soon with your own homegrown or market-bought crop.
TWICE-FRIED GREEN BEANS WITH DOUBLE-BLANCHED GARLIC
Serves 6
1 pound haricots vert (French-style thin green beans), stems removed, or Chinese long beans, trimmed and cut into 4-inch pieces
2 to 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
Salt
1 cup good quality canned chicken broth
1/4 cup bottled oyster sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons peanut oil, plus 4 cups for deep-frying
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
Rinse the beans with cold running water. Drain well and pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels, leaving not a trace of water. Set aside.
Next, blanch the garlic. Have a bowl of ice water ready. In a small
saucepan, pour in enough water to cover the garlic. Salt lightly and bring to a boil. Carefully drop the whole garlic cloves into the water and blanch for 30 seconds. Remove the cloves with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge them into the ice water to stop the cooking process. Repeat the process, again cooling the garlic by plunging it into the ice water. Drain the garlic and dry it well. The peels should slip off easily. Cut the garlic into thin slices.
In a small bowl, stir together the broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce and sugar.
In a medium saute pan or wok over medium heat, heat the 3 tablespoons of
oil. Add the garlic cloves and cook them, stirring frequently, until they
caramelize to a golden brown color, 7 to 10 minutes. Add 1 cup of the sauce mixture and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until it reduces to a glaze that coats the garlic, about 10 minutes more. Set aside.
In a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, heat the 4 cups of peanut oil to 375 degrees on a deep-frying thermometer. Add the string beans, in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding, and fry them for about 20 seconds. Using a wire skimmer or slotted spoon, remove the beans from the oil and drain on paper towels.
Add the beans and remaining sauce to the wok or skillet with the garlic.
Toss over medium heat just until the beans are well coated, no more than 1 minute. Transfer to a heated serving plate or bowl and garnish with scallions. Serve immediately.
(c)2008 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
© Copyright by Lifestyles2000.net
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