Vietnamese green bean stir-fry with mushrooms and garlic

Mushrooms, particularly oyster mushrooms, play a significant role in Vietnamese cuisine. They are used in everything, from making stocks to salads to stir-fries and main courses. They add a lovely earthy flavour to the dishes that are adored.

This is a very traditional wok stir-fry, done on high heat for a short time. The beans are deliciously blistered, and the earthy mushrooms are coated with the sauces. The flavours go well together; this dish will finish on the table with guests asking for more.

The food of Vietnam is a culinary tome that starts in Nort Vietnam and travels down to the south. It stops at marketplaces and homes of families and chefs documenting the flavours of a nation's exquisite recipes. The recipes are authentic and delicious; each is annotated with a story about its origins. Luke Nguyen is an author, chef, restauranteur and TV host. He is responsible for popularizing Vietnamese food across Australia and the world, taking the ingredients and flavours to his audience. This is a lovely book that should belong in every chef's kitchen for its recipes and flavours of a nation.

For more recipes from this book, click here.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil

2-3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

7 oz. green beans cut into 2-inch pieces

4 oz mushrooms, oyster preferred, or button/crimini, quartered

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

2 teaspoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce (substitute tamari sauce for vegan version)

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Cilantro, minced to garnish

Heat the oil in a wok and add the garlic. Fry on high for 10 seconds till they turn a light golden. Add the beans and fry till the beans are wrinkled and browned in a few spots.

Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook until the mushrooms are just cooked about 4 minutes. The mushrooms will give out liquids that will dry out and turn a light golden.

Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, if using, and sugar, toss well, and cook for 1 minute until the sauce dries out and clings to the vegetables.

Drizzle with sesame oil and toss well.

Remove from the stove and turn into a bowl. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.