Yard Long Beans

[helenas]

I think Long Beans deserve their own thread:

my favorites:

deep-fried (sometimes with eggplant) and tossed with yuzu kosho;

cut-up in tiny beads and added to a braising meat during last 30min (tried this with mediterranean flavored lamb, today it will be with sake braised pork belly);

The beads trick i've learned from the indispensable Amaranth to Zucchini book, where there are some other interesting long beans ideas.

Paula Wolfert has a bunch of suggestions in her Mediterranean Grains and Greens such as macaroni-style beans from Turkey, or fritters with skordalia from Greece.

Also here on eGullet there are excellent ideas from Jinmyo on Dinner thread: when i have time i'm planning to pull them together.

[TongoRad]

I like to do a takeoff on something I've had a number of times at one of my favorite Indian restaurants. It's fairly simple, but delicious. I've never jotted down a recipe, so I guess this is more of a method-

Cut the beans into 1" long pieces. Blanch and shock the beans- drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a saute pan. Add finely chopped shallots, saute for a bit and then add:

Mustard seeds

Dried chilli pods (I use either DeArbol or Japoness)

Curry leaves

These items should pop and crackle within a few seconds. At that point add the beans, saute for a bit until heated through and then add salt.

I'll have to take better notes next time, but that is it in a nutshell.

[Jinmyo]

Deep-fried, tossed with fermented black beans and sesame oil with minced garlic.

Tied into knots, blanched, put into various soups.

Cut into three inch pieces, blanched, tossed with raw petit pois and blanched sugar snap peas and pea greens with mint (or shiso) and wasabi as a salad. Some cubes of silken tofu or thinly sliced char siu. Or, alternatively, mint and minced chiles and cubes of feta.

Etc etc.

Nice thread idea, helena.

[snowangel]

It's a main ingredient is Thai prik khing curry. I love this curry. It is a dry curry, ie sans coconut milk or broth. Brown chopped pork in prik khing curry paste, add long beans and cook for a few minutes.

Come July, our farmer's market will have lots of long beans. I can't wait! Although I can get them at my Asian market, if you don't get there on delivery day, they start to look pretty sorry.

I also like them deep fried.

I like the idea of tying them into knots!

[moosnsqrl]

My favorite is from Milliken/Fenniger's "World Tour" on FoodTV...

Tied Thai Bean Salad

Blanch the beans in salt water, tie knots every few inches, cut between knots (this helps bind sauce and other ingredients to each bite...it's not an affectation)

Grate a zucchini

Peel, seed, dice a couple of tomatoes

Mix with dressing: nuoc nam, lime juice, garlic, palm sugar, thai bird/serranos, kaffir lime/lime zest, cilantro

I may have to stop at the Asian market on the way home...it's been too long since I made this.

[helenas]

Yesterday i cut a bunch of long beans into tiny pieces (smaller than corn kernels) and made a risotto (3cups of bean for 1 cup of arborio) on vegetable stock.

Came out very nice although next time i will use less rice.

[racheld]

In certain seasons, our favorite Chinese restaurant has them on the buffet, cut in 6" lengths, stir-fried with onions, jalapeno slices, soy sauce and a pinch of sugar. They are served with tongs, of course, but I've been known to swipe the spoon from a neighboring pan and scoop up a bit of the lovely sauce and pour it over the beans on my plate. At the end of the meal, I lay down my chopsticks, dump the last of the rice from my ricebowl into the little spot of sauce, and eat it with a spoon.

In the off-season (I suppose there must be one, though they seem to be supplied with all other regular green things year-round) they substitute plain old green beans, left whole and cooked by the same recipe. It's a treat to go up to the buffet, glance expectantly into the long-beans' rightful pan, and find that they do not taper or have little curly wisps of tail, but are the wonderful, cleaver-cut long tender ones that are soooo tasty and crisp.

Like last night's.

[Chris Amirault]

Blanched, shocked, and stir-fried in a good wok, these babies take very well to a sauce using fermented bean curd as a base, with a little shaoxing, sugar, stock, soy, black pepper.

[racheld]

Say on, Brother, Say on!!