Prepare Tasty and Bright Sichuan Green Beans Without Wok
Sichuan green beans are delicious , but they usually require a wok and some vegetable oil. If you don’t have a wok (or just don’t want to deal with a bunch of butter), they might seem out of reach for you, but at Serious Eats, Kenji (known at the Food Lab ) came up with a way to get bright, bubbly beans using a broiler.
Part of what makes these green beans so addictive (yes, green beans can be addictive) is their crunchy, toasty appearance and tender yet punchy on the inside. Dried beans are unacceptable, which is why deep-frying followed by a quick roast in flavor mixes has long been the preferred form of preparation.
To make bubble beans without the extra oil, Kenji tested six different methods, ultimately deciding to move the operation from the pan (or wok) to the oven:
I figured if I preheat the oven enough I could get a similar effect by tossing the beans in some oil and tossing them for a few moments. A conventional oven, even when heated to a maximum temperature of 550 ° F, didn’t cook quickly enough – the beans were still soft by the time they bubbled – but the broiler cooked beans were fantastic. By letting the broiler heat up to hellish levels and then placing the beans as close as possible underneath, I was able to make them explode and brown in record time.
Kenji then turned his attention to the sauce, which you can read about at the link below. Spoiler alert: It can also be cooked without woks, which means these beans are a very real and very interesting side dish option you can make tonight.
The Food Lab: For The Best Sichuan Roasted Green Beans, Ditch the Wok and Turn On the Broiler | Serious food