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Garlic Blistered Green Beans with Capers

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
Keyword: Capers, garlic, gluten free, green beans, haricots verts, red pepper flakes, vegetarian
Servings: 4 servings
Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup peanut oil
  • 3/4-1 lb. green beans (my favs are the haricots verts thin french green beans) patted dry of any surface moisture or condensation
  • kosher salt to taste
  • 6 garlic cloves sliced
  • 1 tablespoon capers drained, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes use more or less depending on your level of spice preference (1/4 tsp for mild, 1/2 tsp for medium, and 1 tsp or more for hot!)

Instructions

  • Add oil to a large pan and heat on medium-high.
  • Once pan is hot and oil begins to shimmer add the green beans (the dryer they are, the less they will spatter when they hit the oil) and cook UNDISTURBED, covering skillet as needed if beans are spattering, until browned underneath, about 3 minutes.
  • Then turn beans with tongs and redistribute so they brown evenly (don’t toss them because hot oil can easily splash out of the pan). Continue to cook, turning occasionally, until browned and blistered all over and tender, about 5 minutes longer. Season with salt.
  • Next add the garlic, capers, and red pepper flakes. Cook, tossing occasionally, just until garlic turns golden, about 1-2 minutes longer.
  • Transfer to a platter and season with more salt if needed.

Notes

This vegetable dish can easily be turned into a meal by adding ground beef/pork/chicken, tofu crumbles or a couple of fried eggs. 
If you can’t find haricot verts, use regular green beans. The cook time will be longer because regular green beans are thicker than haricot verts and trimming the ends will be necessary.
It’s very easy to double this recipe but you will have to cook in batches because it is important not to overcrowd the pan to allow for maximum blistering.
I use Trader Joe's pre-packaged and Ready-To-Use Haricots Verts but many green beans are not sold this way. So, if you are buying green beans that aren't ready-to-use, you must wash and thoroughly dry them before using. You may also need to trim the ends.