DOUBLE-COOKED GREEN BEANS

A few years ago I went to a Chinese restaurant in Sydney and they served a dish with beans I totally fell in love with. I have been trying to reciprocate it since, but still cannot get the taste I got there. However, this dish is very tasty and goes well with the rest of the dishes I prepared for dinner - see below. I was not able to find the preserved mustard cabbage so I used kimchi instead. It was delish!

INGREDIENTS

1 kg snake or green beans, trimmed
150 g minced pork and veal 
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1/2 tsp roasted sesame oil
oil for deep frying
5 Tbsp finely chopped preserved mustard cabbage (I used kimchi instead)
3 spring onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp sugar

METHOD:
Trim the beans and cut them into 5 cm pieces. 

Put the meat in a bowl, add 1 teaspoon of the soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the rice wine and the sesame oil and stir vigorously to combine. Get the rest of the ingredients ready.

Fill a wok with about 1/2 cup oil. Heat the oil until a piece of bread fries golden brown in 15 seconds when dropped in the oil.
Add a third of the beans, covering the wok with the lid as they are placed in the oil to prevent the oil from splashing. Cook for 3 1/2 - 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until they are tender and golden brown at the edges.

Remove with a wire sieve or slotted spoon and drain.

Reheat the oil and repeat with the remaining beans.
Pour the oil from the wok, leaving 1 teaspoon.
Reheat the reserved oil over high heat until very hot, add the meat and stir-fry until the colour changes, separating the pieces of meat.
Push the meat to the side and add the preserved mustard cabbage and spring onions. 

Stir-fry over high heat for 15 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the beans with the remaining soy sauce and rice wine, sugar and 1 tablespoon of water, and return the meat to the centre of the wok. 

Toss lightly to coat the beans with the sauce. Serve.

Serves 4-6

Here served with Dong Po pork, Stir-fried Asian greens with oyster sauce and steamed mountain rice.