By Heydon

I have always loved this recipe. When I was first getting to know Ada, she popped by with this “thrown-together” (please note: her “thrown-together” usually translates to beautifully impressive and delicious beyond belief) and epically delightful dish. It was perfectly spicy, crispy, fresh - everything was just right. It’s a banger of a side dish, and likely will steal the show at any dinner. I haven’t been able to rid my mind of it since that day years ago, and luckily this weekend she made my dreams come true by recreating it and allowing me to document the process. It’s so exciting and life-giving to be with friends again - cooking, sharing a table, and enjoying each other’s company.

Green beans have a quick season - so, this recipe is an awesome way to enjoy these special, early-summer gems. We know green beans are great stir-fried in a hot wok, but an easier route is to throw them in a broiler as you’ll see below. Ada tells me the not-so-secret, secret ingredient is the Chili Crisp - a Chinese condiment featuring onions, peppercorns, chili, and garlic fried in oil. Chili crisp is wonderful to keep in the fridge - it’s packed with spicy flavor and the most perfect crispy crunchies. Ada's jar came from MT Supermarket in Central North Austin.

Ingredients:

• A bag of JBG green beans
• Peanut oil (or another neutral oil)
• White wine vinegar (or another acid)
• Spicy chili crisp (we used Laoganma Spicy Chili Crisp)
• Salt
• Sugar (or another sweet substitute)
• Cilantro (or another fresh herb you enjoy)

Lao Gan Ma, one of the most popular brands of Chili Crisp out there.

Wash and dry the green beans. Make sure they are all the way dry… that way the oil sticks. Toss them with a neutral oil like peanut oil. Toss them enough to coat the beans and spread them out on a sheet pan. Preheat the broiler and pop them in an oven. The timing will vary on the strength of your oven + broiler. We are aiming for a deliciously blistered green bean - not burnt. Let them get some color.

While they are broiling, put a nice giant generous scoop of chili crisp - might be even more than you think - in a big bowl. Because we want to achieve a sweet & sour green bean, mix some sugar (we used granulated sugar - but you could use honey or brown sugar). If it’s feeling too thick - add a tiny bit of peanut oil or whatever neutral oil you are utilizing to make it more of a dressing. Add some kind of salt to the mix. We used salt because we didn’t have soy, but soy would work wonderfully. Last but not least, add some acid! We used white wine vinegar, but rice vinegar or a bunch of lime juice would be ideal. This is a loose recipe with no set measurements… taste test the mixture. If it’s super spicy and you want it sweeter, add more sugar. Don’t shy away from the acid! Make sure to salt them well. As soon as the green beans are done and while they are still piping hot, put them in your big bowl full of dressing and stir it all together. Sprinkle it with a fresh herb like cilantro and ENJOY!