Ginger, garlic + lime shrimp sautéd with green beans

Fragrant and flavorful, but-too-spicy — this ginger, garlic + lime shrimp dish sautéd with green beans gets requested again and again.

Ingredients

1 lb frozen jumbo (16–20) shrimp, thawed

.5 lb garden-fresh green beans, ends clipped, cut to 3–4” segments

3 cloves garlic, thin sliced

1 T grated fresh ginger

juice of 1 lime

3 T sesame oil

2 T fish sauce

1 t chili-garlic sauce

Method

Using kitchen scissors or a paring knife, cut open the back of each shrimp shell from end to end, remove “vein” to clean. Rinse shrimp and pat dry with a paper towel.

Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the oil starts to shimmer. Add garlic and grated fresh ginger and sauté 1–2 minutes to allow them to release their aromatics. Immediately add the shrimp and any extra sesame oil if they are not all glossy. Sauté 3–5 minutes until at least half of each shrimp body starts to turn light pink – but do not turn over the shrimp, let the shells brown just a bit on the bottom side.

Add the green beans, lime juice, fish sauce and chili-garlic sauce, then toss lightly and reduce heat to low and cover. Allow to simmer for about 3–4 minutes so the beans get steamy hot but are still crunchy.

Transfer mixture to a serving bowl and serve with a healthy portion of sticky white rice (I like to make the rice ahead and eat it at room temperature in the summer).

Mussel-bound brodo

This classic bistro dish is enhanced with a few dashes of fish sauce to create a really satisfying umami.

Ingredients

2 lbs. Blue Hill Bay Mussels

4 cloves of garlic, sliced thin

1 small onion, sliced

1 C cherry tomatoes

1 C fresh parsley, chopped

2 C white wine

2 T butter

3 dashes of fish sauce

Method

Rinse mussels under cold running water, then soak them in a large bowl for 20 minutes.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add the onions. Sauté 3 minutes until soft, then add garlic and tomatoes and sauté one to two more minutes until the tomato skins just begin to wrinkle. Add mussels and wine, then cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 4 to 6 minutes, until all the mussels have opened.

Transfer the mussels and tomatoes to a large, shallow serving bowl using a slotted spoon or tongs, then sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Add fish sauce to the broth, then transfer into a dipping bowl.

Don’t forget to toast some thick-sliced, buttered and toasted French Country bread to soak up the broth!