I like long beans when ordered in Chinese restaurants but had never made them at home because I had heard that they were difficult to cook properly. A lot of internet research and 2 attempts later, I cobbled together a recipe that worked for me. Most recipes seemed to feel that 5 minutes (with an additional 1 minute if needed) of cooking time was enough. My beans took 12 and I like my veggies pretty al dente. I suggest using the fork prodding method very few minutes after the initial five...
Recipe
1 bunch long beans, most recipes suggest 3 inch pieces but I cut mine in thirds so that it would be obvious from the get-go that these were no ordinary beans (this might explain the 12 minute cooking time).
1/3 can full fat coconut milk
1 Tbsp chicken stock or water
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 shallot, peeled, halved and cut into thin crescents
1 tsp olive oil
Juice of one lime
salt and white pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large sauce pan. Add the beans and the shallots. Fry for several minutes, cooking constantly until the beans are flecked with light brown spots and the shallots are starting to get soft. Add salt and pepper.
Add the coconut milk, the stock (or water) and the ginger. Lower heat to medium, cover and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Check the beans after 5 minutes and, if not tender when prodded with a fork, continue to cook, checking every few minutes. Add a bit more stock if the pan starts to go dry.
When the beans are cooked to your desired tenderness, check for seasoning and season additionally with the juice from one lime before serving.
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