Dry-Fried Green Beans 乾煸四季豆

This Sichuanese export is so delicious that you are able to order it from any Chinese restaurants these days. Despite being one of my favourite dishes, I seldom order this when I dine out as I find the deep frying process used in restaurants makes the dish too oily and lacks the smokiness it should possess. Nevertheless, this is an extremely easy dish to prepare at home. Omit the pork for a vegetarian version and it will still be very tasty.

P.S For vegetarian version saute a tbs each of chopped garlic, chili and ginger before adding the beans.

Adapted from Fuchsia Dunlop's Sichuan Cookery

serves 4 as part of a Sichuanese/Chinese meal

you'll need;

1 kg of french beans

100 g of minced pork

50 g of yachai or Sichuan preserved vegetable

3 spring onions, chopped

dash of soy

dash of Chinese cooking wine

dash of sesame oil

peanut oil

This is what yachai looks like.

Dry-fry beans in batches with a little oil til wilted and a little charred.

They should look something like this :)

In a smoking hot wok, brown minced pork with a little oil.

Next add the yachai and beans, fry for a minute then add soy and Chinese cooking wine and spring onions. Continue to fry for a minute or two, check for seasonings. Drizzle a little sesame oil before serving

I served this as part of a Sichuanese meal together with fish fragrant eggplants.