Not truly pickled, these beans are what I call “quickles”. With the red pepper dice it is a colorful dish, and the crisp texture and bright flavors make this especially enjoyable when it’s hot out. This dish is great cold, but can be served hot as well.
INGREDIENTS:
12 ounces filet beans, trimmed of stems and wispy tails 1-2 red peppers-(enough to yield 1½ cups diced or 1/3 total volume of beans), seeded and cut into ¼ inch dice 1-2 tablespoons black and white sesame seeds, mixed 1 cup light Japanese style dressing, or as much as needed
Dressing:
½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar ¼ cup water ¼ cup mirin (or use sugar instead) 1 tablespoon soy sauce -Optional- 1 teaspoon or less toasted black sesame oil Salt to taste 1½ cups neutral flavored oil such as grape seed or canola, or as needed
METHOD:
Put all the dressing ingredients except the oil into a blender. ( The sesame oil is there to add a smokiness to the dish. Use only enough to add that quality in a mysterious way, just on the edge of tasting.) Blend together the ingredients and drizzle the oil into the base in a thin stream. Taste after half the oil is used. The idea is to have a light pleasant tasting dressing for the beans without it tasting like a standard vinaigrette. It should be a little sweet, a little tart, and not really oily. It is okay if the dressing separates. So-add in only as much oil as you need to reach this goal.
While the dressing is being made, bring a volume of water twice as large as the volume of beans to a boil. Salt generously.
Blanch the beans until just tender, around 6-7 minutes.
Drain the beans and place into a non-reactive bowl. Pour the dressing over the beans while they are hot, and add the diced pepper. There should be enough dressing to liberally coat the ingredients.
Allow to cool, tossing occasionally. Refrigerate to chill, and shake off excess dressing when ready to serve. Garnish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds at service.
To serve hot, either dress and serve right away (the beans will not taste very “pickled”) or reheat the beans in a microwave or quickly sauté to heat through.
Chef’s Notes:
This dish is nice made with any colorful combination of beans and peppers, so don’t be afraid to use different colors than listed. This dish can be garnished with almonds instead sesame seeds to good effect, and a little cilantro or shiso is a nice addition. Slice mushrooms thinly, and then boil a little of the dressing in the microwave and pour onto the mushrooms. This will cook them and they will add a nice deep flavor when you add them to the dish at service.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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