A sweet solution for getting flavor to stick to green beans

Sweet-and-Spicy Ginger Green Beans

Name: Sweet-and-Spicy Ginger Green Beans
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4 Servings
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; 1/4 cup water; 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger; 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar; Ground white pepper

10 minutes

Free

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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.

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

Directions

01

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

See Demo
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
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.