One day, while working in the back lot of Universal Studios in Los Angeles, I snooped around Chef Wolfgang Puck’s makeshift kitchen that was set up in preparation for a catering event. I knew I wanted to aspire to this level of catering, so I sneaked a peek into his prep kitchen to check out how he was going to pull it all together. While snooping, I caught a glimpse of what looked like Chinese long beans with oyster sauce and sesame seeds, but I couldn’t really tell, and I couldn’t really ask because I wasn’t supposed to be there. So I just made them! And I thought, Oh, these are good! And so, from that day forth, I made them my own by adding some sambal chili paste for heat, plus fresh mint, cilantro, and basil. I love the texture of the beans (we deep-fry them at Little Owl, but for home preparation, roasting in the oven achieves a nice blister), and I especially enjoy their versatility: Serve them hot as a family-style side dish or transfer to an airtight container to get cold in your refrigerator (they’re wonderful served the next day alongside a piece of grilled fresh tuna). Sometimes, cooking is sneaky peeks and bursts of inspiration. I adopted these beans on a covert mission and made them my own. And now, they belong to you.
SERVES 4 TO 6
1 lb [455 g] fresh green beans, ends trimmed
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup [60 ml] oyster sauce
1 Tbsp sambal chili paste (or more or less depending on your preference for heat)
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Preheat the oven to 500°F [260°C].
In a large bowl, combine the green beans and the olive oil and, using your hands, toss to coat. Transfer to an unlined baking sheet and arrange them in a single layer. Roast in the oven until the beans begin to blister slightly, 10 to 11 minutes.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant and lightly toasted (it can burn quickly), about 30 seconds. Add the beans, oyster sauce, and chili paste and, using a wooden spoon, gently toss the beans around in the sauce to coat them, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and sprinkle with the cilantro, mint, basil, and sesame seeds.
Transfer to a platter (good luck resisting the urge to pick at them and eat them on the way to the table) and serve immediately. Transfer to an airtight container and store in your refrigerator for 1 day.
