Inspired by Masaharu Morimoto’s recipe for sesame green beans, this version subs tahini for sesame seeds, adds a dash of rice wine vinegar and finely chopped roasted peanuts for extra crunch. Sweet, salty, nutty and with the grassy freshness of green beans, it makes a great side to rich chicken katsu or miso-marinated salmon.
INGREDIENTS
- 6 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut in half
- 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp mirin (Japanese cooking wine). If you don’t have some, you can substitute sherry for a slightly different effect, but nonetheless tasty
- 1 Tbsp tahini
- 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp unsalted, roasted peanuts, finely chopped (you can pulse them a few times in a food processor if you’d like)
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- salt to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the dressing: Whisk together soy sauce, mirin or sherry, tahini, rice wine vinegar, white pepper and chopped peanuts. Taste and add salt as needed. Set aside.
Prepare an ice-water bath by filling a medium-size bowl with cold water and adding a few ice cubes or an ice pack.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the green beans and cook for ~3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place into ice water bath. This keeps them vibrant and green.
Whisk the dressing to recombine, then drain green beans and toss in the dressing. Serve.