Đậu Cô Ve Xào Tỏi Tôm Khô
Đậu Cô Ve Xào Tỏi Tôm Khô·(dow coh veh saow toiy tom kho)
Giao Thoa: The Hyphenated Holiday Table
If you grew up in a Vietnamese-American household, the smell of garlic and savory dried shrimp hitting hot oil is the universal bat-signal that dinner is almost ready. Don't fall for the restaurant trick of deep-frying the beans in cups of oil to make them blistered and soft. The secret to the vibrant, snappy beans of your childhood is a quick blanch followed by a brutal ice bath, and lightly bruising the soaked dried shrimp to unleash a massive wave of umami. It takes fifteen minutes, uses ingredients you can keep in your pantry, and tastes exactly like home.
Before you start
Lightly crush the soaked and drained dried shrimp in a mortar and pestle.
You don't want a paste; you just want to bruise and flatten them slightly so their fibrous structure breaks open and releases maximum flavor into the oil.
Prepare a large bowl filled with cold water and ice cubes.
Ingredients
- fresh green beans1 lb
- dried shrimp1/4 cup
- garlic3 large cloves
- Asian shallot1 large
- neutral cooking oil2 tbsp
- premium fish sauce1 tbsp
- sugar1/2 tsp
- chicken or mushroom bouillon powder1/2 tsp
- oyster sauce1 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- fresh cilantro2 sprigs
- scallion1 med
Method
- 01
Drop the cut green beans into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for exactly one to two minutes.
They should turn a brilliant, vivid green.
- 02
Immediately scoop out the beans and plunge them directly into the ice water for three minutes.
This thermal shock stops the cooking instantly, locking in the crunch and color.
- 03
Drain the beans thoroughly and pat them dry.
- 04
Heat the oil in a wide skillet or wok over medium-high heat, add the minced garlic and shallots, and stir continuously until light golden.
- 05
Add the bruised dried shrimp to the pan and toss rapidly for one minute.
You want the shrimp to fry slightly, infusing all of its deep, oceanic savory notes directly into the oil.
- 06
Turn the heat to high, add the blanched green beans, and toss vigorously.
Add the fish sauce, sugar, bouillon powder, and oyster sauce, stir-frying for just thirty to sixty seconds until the sauce coats the beans perfectly.
- 07
Turn off the heat, sprinkle with black pepper, and transfer immediately to a serving plate.
Leaving them in the hot pan will cause them to lose their crunch; garnish with chopped cilantro and scallions and serve right away.
Notes
Source pale orange to pink dried shrimp at your local Asian market, avoiding anything dyed neon red.
Keep them stored in the freezer in an airtight bag or container and they will last indefinitely.
For a vegetarian version, substitute finely diced, rehydrated shiitake mushrooms for the shrimp and use a vegan fish sauce.