Twice-Cooked Hoisin & Chilli Green Beans

Ingredients

400g green beans, trimmed

½ red onion, finely sliced

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

20g fresh ginger, finely chopped

1–2 bird's eye chillies, finely sliced (or left whole for a milder flavour)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

The Sauce

1 tablespoon Chiu Chow chilli oil (including some chilli paste)

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry)

1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

PREPARATION

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Blanch the green beans for 2–3 minutes, until just tender but still bright green, then drain thoroughly. While the beans cook, finely slice the onion and garlic, chop the ginger and prepare the chillies. In a small bowl, mix together the chilli oil, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine and dark soy sauce until smooth.

COOKING

2. Heat a wok over a medium-high to high heat until smoking.

3. Add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and stir-fry the onion until just softened.

4. Push the onion to one side of the wok.

5. Add a little more oil, then stir-fry the garlic and ginger until fragrant.

6. Add the blanched green beans.

7. Spread the beans into a single layer and allow them to blister for 20–30 seconds before turning.

8. Continue tossing and searing for 2–3 minutes, allowing the skins to char lightly.

9. Add the sliced chillies.

10. Pour in the prepared hoisin chilli sauce.

11. Toss everything together until the sauce bubbles and evenly coats the beans.

12. Serve immediately as a side dish with steamed rice or alongside your favourite stir- fries.

School of Wok Tips

 Traditionally, the beans are deep-fried first, but blanching provides a lighter alternative while still achieving excellent texture.

 Let the beans sit against the hot wok for short periods to develop their characteristic blistered skins.

 Use the chilli whole if you want a subtle warmth, or finely slice it for a much spicier dish.

 The twice-cooking process softens the beans while concentrating their natural sweetness.

FAQs

Why blanch the green beans first?

Blanching partially cooks the beans so they become tender inside. The second cooking stage over a high heat blisters the skins and adds smoky flavour without needing to deep-fry.

Can I deep-fry the beans instead?

Yes. For a more traditional version, deep-fry the beans briefly until wrinkled before stir-frying them with the aromatics and sauce.

Can I make this dish vegan?

Yes. All the ingredients are naturally vegan, provided you use a vegan-friendly hoisin sauce and chilli oil.