Tag Archives: Sichuan

Dry-Fried Sichuan-Style Green Beans with Shrimp

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Instead of leaning on a sauce, “dry” stir-fries like this recipe use a small amount of liquid (in this case, fish sauce), relying on heat and movement in the wok to intensify each ingredient’s flavors. To ensure that the beans blister, dry them thoroughly with a kitchen towel before cooking. Pickled sushi ginger adds mild, well-balanced sweetness and a hint of spice.

Where we took fault with this recipe as written, were the quantities. There is no way only 6 shrimp and the remaining ingredients would serve four adult portions, no way! So we doubled the shrimp from 6 to 12, and that amplified the volume enough for two decent servings. Those changes are noted in the recipe below.

Since this sauce-less dry-fry wouldn’t necessarily require a bed of rice, we opted for pan-fried dumplings. Trader Joe’s has a nice selection and we just happen to have some in our freezer. Russ whipped up a simple, yet tasty, dumpling dipping sauce (recipe below), and dinner done!

Dry-Fried Sichuan-Style Green Beans with Shrimp

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 8 oz. peeled and deveined raw large shrimp (about 12 shrimp) 
  • 2 Tbsp. peanut oil or vegetable oil, divided 
  • 12 oz. green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 3 cups) 
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt 
  • 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions 
  • 1Tbsp. fish sauce 
  • 1 Tbsp. yellow pickled ginger, minced
  • ¼ tsp. granulated sugar

Directions

  1. Pat shrimp dry using paper towels. Chop shrimp into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside. 
  2. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch skillet over high until a drop of water evaporates within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in 1 tablespoon oil. Add beans, and sprinkle with salt; reduce heat to medium-low so that beans are barely sizzling.
  3. Cook, making quick scooping motions with a metal spatula, constantly tossing and tumbling (stir-frying) the beans until they just begin to blister and brown in spots and are almost tender, 3 to 6 minutes. Transfer beans to a plate.
  4. Increase heat under wok to high, and swirl in remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add garlic; cook, stir-frying constantly, until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
  5. Add chopped shrimp, and break up any clumps using a metal spatula; cook, stir-frying constantly, until shrimp just take on an orange-pink hue, about 1 minute.
  6. Return beans to wok, and add scallions, fish sauce, pickled ginger, and sugar; cook, stir-frying constantly, until shrimp are just cooked through and beans are tender, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

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Recipe by Grace Young for Food & Wine

Dumpling Dipping Sauce

  • Servings: Yields 1 cup
  • Difficulty: easy
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Dumpling Dipping Sauce

This easy, flavorful dipping sauce is the perfect condiment for a range of homemade or store-bought dumplings. It can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. Chinese chile garlic sauce
  • 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped scallion slices

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce with the rice vinegar, chile-garlic sauce and sesame oil.
  2. Top with chopped scallion, then serve.

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Recipe from Food & Wine

Szechuan Dan Dan

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This riff from Better Homes and Gardens on the popular Chinese Sichuan recipe features a spicy sauce, fresh vegetables, and ground pork. Black vinegar has a hint of fruitiness and gives this street food favorite a touch of umami richness.

As is typical, we did make some changes. The first included using broccoli rabe instead of Chinese broccoli. In doing so, we tossed it in the pot with the carrots and shallots due to a longer cooking time. The amounts of ground pork and lo mien noodles were about 25% more than called for, and an extra carrot was added. For even more depth of flavor, we used our home made chicken stock.

*Shopping Notes: Buy Szechuan peppercorns at Asian markets or spice stores. An Asian market is best for salty, garlicky black bean paste and leafy Chinese broccoli (aka gai lan). Black vinegar is occasionally at large supermarkets. A good sub for it is 1 Tbsp. each rice vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.

Szechuan Dan Dan

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • Tsp. canola oil
  • 2 tsp. Szechuan peppercorns* or 4 dried Thai chile peppers
  • 1 lb. ground pork 
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
  • 1 medium carrot, cut into thin, bite-size strips
  • 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
  • 8 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade
  • 2 Tbsp. black bean paste*
  • 6 oz. dried lo mein noodles
  • 2 cups trimmed and thinly sliced Chinese broccoli*, broccolini or broccoli rabe
  • 1 cup fresh snow pea pods, trimmed and thinly sliced lengthwise
  • 2 Tbsp. black vinegar*
  • ½ cup chopped, lightly salted cocktail peanuts
  • lime wedges for garnish (optional)

Directions

  1. In a 5- to 6-qt. Dutch oven heat oil and peppercorns over medium 1 to 2 minutes or until peppercorns are fragrant, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Let stand 2 minutes. Remove and discard peppercorns, reserving oil.
  2. Add ground pork, garlic, and five-spice powder to oil in Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat until meat is browned. Using a slotted spoon, remove meat.
  3. Add carrot and shallots to drippings. Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add broth and bean paste to Dutch oven. Bring to boiling. Add noodles; return to boiling. Cook according to noodle package directions until tender, stirring occasionally and adding broccoli the last 2 minutes.
  5. Stir in cooked meat and pea pods; cook 2 minutes more. Stir in vinegar. Top servings with peanuts.

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