I picked up the idea for this recipe from a restaurant in downtown Greensboro that recently closed (sadly). I was a bit skeptical about the idea of green beans as a tapas dish but after tasting them I fell in love. My friend Ivan loved them so much that he asked exactly what was in the glaze. To our surprise it was nothing more than hoisin sauce and sesame seeds. I’ve made these a couple times on my own and they aren’t as good as theirs. I think it has to do with finding really thin green beans.

When putting these together on Wednesday night I was asked what exactly hoisin sauce is – and I had to admit – I had no idea. So, like any curious person – we went to Wikipedia. It turns out you can spell Hoisin two ways – hoisin or haixian. And the ingredients are (according to Wikipedia): “Mandarin-style Hoisin sauce ingredients include water, sugar, soybeans, white distilled vinegar, rice, salt, wheat flour, garlic, and red chili peppers, and several preservatives and coloring agents. Traditionally, Hoisin sauce is made using sweet potato. Despite the literal meaning of “seafood,” Hoisin sauce does not contain fish.” So, next time we’re asked – we know.

Ingredients:

• French green beans
• 1 jar hoisin sauce
• sesame seeds

Assembly: Simmer and reduce the hoisin sauce in a small pot on low until it is thick and glaze-like. Meanwhile, steam the green beans to your liking. I prefer mine al dente. Add the glaze to the green beans and top with sesame seeds.