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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Wednesday, June 1, 2005

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Wok-fried edamame a spicy treat

By Wanda Adams
Advertiser Food Editor

Talk about a happy coincidence: The other day Heidi Hong wrote to say that her family loves eating out at Alan Wong's Pineapple Room at Macy's, Ala Moana Center, and that they would really like a recipe for their "fabulous" wok-fried edamame (fresh soybeans). Well, it just so happens that this is one of my favorite dishes, too, and I've got the recipe because it was previously published in a book of restaurant recipes collected and tested by the America's Test Kitchen folks.

The book is called "Restaurant Favorites at Home: a Best Recipe Classic," by the publishers of Cook's Illustrated and was released in 2003. I was one of the editors Cook's Illustrated contacted to ask which local restaurant recipes we'd most like to have, and this dish was one of two that I mentioned.

I've been using the recipe at family gatherings ever since the book came out, and I've also adapted the fabulous sauce to make a main dish by sauteing strips of pork, chicken or tofu instead of edamame. Or you can use shelled edamame and pour this over rice for a knock-your-socks-off vegetarian entree.

I use low-salt shoyu for this, and I don't salt the water when cooking the edamame, as the dish has plenty of sodium.

Serrano chilies are small and slightly pointed with smooth skin that turns from green to red. Use milder green Anaheim chili, if desired.

This pupu is best served hot, though it's still good at room temperature. And, of course, these are a full-body eating experience— you have to dig in with fingers, slurp the sauce off the soybean pods and suck the beans out of the shells.

Spicy Chili-Fried Edamame

  • 1 pound frozen edamame
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 2 serrano chilies, seeded and minced
  • 1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
  • 3 tablespoons shoyu (soy sauce)
  • 1 tablespoon oyster-flavored sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Boil edamame with salt until cooked. Drain and plunge into cold water to stop cooking. Drain again and set aside.

In a large frying pan or wok, heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil until hot and shimmering. Add edamame and cook, stirring constantly, until beans are heated through, 2-3 minutes.

Push beans aside, add remaining peanut oil, chilies and cook 30 seconds; add ginger and garlic and cook 1 minute. Add shoyu, oyster sauce, sesame oil and cook, stirring constantly, until liquid is evaporated, about 30 seconds.

Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings as an appetizer.