Aaron Kabot | Chef – Partner
Chef’s Special Cocktail Bar
2165 N. Western Ave., Chicago
Recipe:
String Beans
One pound of string beans makes 2 portions
Trim and rinse string beans. Heat a ½ inch of oil in wok or saute pan. Shallow fry the greenbeans until wrinkled. Drain and set aside. Remove excess oil from pan and heat to high. Place a heaping tablespoon of the chili paste in the pan and fry until aromatic. Add a ¼ cup of garlic broth and cook into a sauce. Add in cooked string beans and toss until glazed and coated completely. Garnish with fried garlic.
Chili Paste
Makes 2 cups
Ginger 3 T, minced
Garlic 3 T, minced
Scallion (white) 3 T, minced
Doubanjang (May Substitute equal parts Sambal and Miso) 1 cup
Dark Soy 2 T
Black Vinegar (May Substitute equal parts malt vinegar and balsamic 1 T
Shaoxing (May Substitute Dry Sherry) 1 T
Sugar 2 tsp
Fermented Black Beans (rinsed) 2 T
Fry ginger, garlic and scallion in a quarter inch of vegetable oil. Add doubanjang and continue to fry until very fragrant. Add dark soy, black vinegar, shaoxing, and sugar. Bring to a simmer then remove from heat. Blend and fold in fermented black beans.
*Use garlic broth to thin out to desired consistency during cooking process
Garlic Broth
Spring Onion 1 cup, rough chop
Shallot ½ cup, rough chop
Garlic ½ cup, rough chop
Garlic Chives (may substitute Leeks) 1 bunch, rough chop
Ginger 1 T, rough chop
Shiitakes, dried 1 cup
Tamari 3 T
Shaoxing Wine (May substitute Dry Sherry) 1 tsp
Water 1 gallon
Remove spring onion and leek tops (or garlic chives) and set aside. Rough chop spring onion, shallot and garlic. Sweat in oil until aromatic. Add water and other ingredients. Simmer gently for 40 minutes. Turn off heat and steep garlic chives and spring onion tops for 25 min. strain through a sieve.
Fried Garlic
Mince garlic in food processer. Coat in cornstarch. In a small sauce pot, place into cold oil and increase heat slowly until garlic is lightly browned and crispy. Drain garlic onto a towel and season to taste with salt.
