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A sweet solution for getting flavor to stick to green beans
Milk Street Bowtie Sweet-and-Spicy Ginger Green Beans

Sweet-and-Spicy Ginger Green Beans

10 minutes

Free

We cooked the beans in a very hot pan, without moving, to develop browning and flavor, then added water to steam them until tender. Drying the beans thoroughly minimized splatter, and halving them on a steep bias allowed them to absorb more flavor. A final dose of vinegar, added off heat, prevented the beans from losing their bright green color.

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2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 pound green beans, stemmed and halved on the bias crosswise
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
Ground white pepper
Ingredients
  • 2

    tablespoons packed light brown sugar

  • 1

    tablespoon fish sauce

  • 1

    tablespoon soy sauce

  • 3

    tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

  • 1

    pound green beans, stemmed and halved on the bias crosswise

  • ¼

    cup water

  • 1

    tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

  • ½

    teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 2

    tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

  • Ground white pepper

Sweet-and-Spicy Ginger Green Beans
Directions
  1. 01
    In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, fish sauce and soy sauce. Set aside.
    See Demo
  2. 02
    In a large Dutch oven or 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until beginning to smoke. Add the beans and cook, without stirring, until beginning to color, about 3 minutes. Add the water and immediately cover the pan. Cook until the beans are bright green and barely tender, about 2 minutes.
    See Demo
  3. 03
    Clear a space in the center of the pan, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the clearing. Stir in the ginger and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour the sugar-fish sauce mixture into the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has thickened and coats the beans, about 1 minute. Off of the heat, stir in the vinegar. Taste and season with pepper.
    See Demo
Tip: Don't use an ill-fitting lid. A proper seal was key to this recipe, whether you cook the beans in a Dutch oven or a skillet. Have the lid ready as soon as you add water to the pan.
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Sweet-and-Spicy Ginger Green Beans

Get Ready to Cook

4

Servings

10 minutes

Tip

Don't use an ill-fitting lid. A proper seal was key to this recipe, whether you cook the beans in a Dutch oven or a skillet. Have the lid ready as soon as you add water to the pan.

Ingredients
  • 2

    tablespoons packed light brown sugar

  • 1

    tablespoon fish sauce

  • 1

    tablespoon soy sauce

  • 3

    tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

  • 1

    pound green beans, stemmed and halved on the bias crosswise

  • ¼

    cup water

  • 1

    tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

  • ½

    teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 2

    tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

  • Ground white pepper

Step 1 of 3

Stir the sugar and sauces

2
tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1
tablespoon fish sauce
1
tablespoon soy sauce

In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, fish sauce and soy sauce. Set aside.

Step 2 of 3

Cook the green beans

2
tablespoons vegetable oil
1
pound green beans, stemmed and halved on the bias crosswise
¼
cup water

In a large Dutch oven or 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until beginning to smoke. Add the beans and cook, without stirring, until beginning to color, about 3 minutes.

Add the water and immediately cover the pan. Cook until the beans are bright green and barely tender, about 2 minutes.

Step 3 of 3

Finish and serve

1
tablespoon vegetable oil
1
tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
½
teaspoon red pepper flakes
2
tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
Ground white pepper

Clear a space in the center of the pan, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the clearing. Stir in the ginger and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Pour the sugar-fish sauce mixture into the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has thickened and coats the beans, about 1 minute.

Off of the heat, stir in the vinegar. Taste and season with pepper.

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Sweet-and-Spicy Ginger Green Beans
Sweet-and-Spicy Ginger Green Beans
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