sauteed green beans with basil.

last night was a jaunt at leopold bros brewery, and tomorrow are two math-grad barbeques and a movie night at a postdoc's apartment. so tonight was a perfect time for cooking.

sauteed basil is an intoxicating scent. the method below is dry saute, so have your exhaust fan on or your windows open.


ingredients:

• 1 bunch green beans, snapped into pinky-sized pieces (say as much as you can grasp with one hand, without forcibly trying)
  
  
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced; a full pepper will do, but i was making two batches of green beans in one session.
  
  
• 3 good sprigs of fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped.
  
• about a mouthful of peanuts; pre-roasted is fine.
  
  
• canola oil for frying,
  
• sesame oil for dressing,
  
• salt and pepper to taste,
  
• rice wine vinegar,
  
• enough honey to drizzle lightly over a pan,
  
• a little water, to cool things off.
  

some rough directions:

UNO. dry saute the green beans (no oil, high heat). then add sliced peppers; after one minute, add the peanuts, and stir well.

DOS. this has to be done promptly: a minute after the peanuts, add the oil, switch to medium heat, stir well to coat, and quickly stir in the basil while the oil still coats the mixture visibly. add a little salt, to help open up the flavors.

TRES. once you smell the joy of frying basil, drizzle honey and stir. the pan should be hot enough that the honey will caramelise in about a minute; at that point, add a shake or two of vinegar.

CUATRO. add about a mouthful of water, watch the pan sizzle, and promptly turn the heat off. it should be just enough water to steam up a little moisture into the pan, without losing any of the flavor.


let cool for five minutes, and serve.