What can we use beansprouts for, aside from in stir-fries? We by no means know what to do with the remaining beansprouts in a bag and normally find yourself composting them.
Robin and Catherine, Leatherhead, Surrey
The draw back to beansprouts is that they don’t final lengthy. Fortunately, that crisp texture and grassy flavour is welcome in lots of extra dishes than stir-fries, so there's hope for Robin and Catherine but. However earlier than we get into that, it’s maybe value addressing how finest to maintain beansprouts, to stop them from ending up within the compost bin prematurely.
“The hot button is water, so the drier [the beansprouts], the higher,” says Thuy Diem Pham, writer of The Little Viet Kitchen. Beansprouts are grown in moist circumstances the place micro organism can develop, so that you need to wash them totally first, then go away to air dry (“for about 10 minutes on a fabric”). Pham then transfers the dry beansprouts to a container lined with a fabric, covers them with one other fabric and seals. “It appears to be like tedious, it sounds tedious, however that ought to purchase you at the least three days.”
One other technique to garner extra time is to prep and freeze them, says Kwoklyn Wan, writer of The Full Chinese language Takeaway Cookbook. “Give them a fast stir-fry with a little bit of oil, season with salt and soy, then pop them in a container and freeze.” That means, they’ll be able to go the subsequent time you do really fancy a stir-fry – no new bag required.
Because the climate cools, one other simple resolution is to make use of beansprouts to high soups. “They’re superb as a filler,” says Pham, who typically deploys them for a late-night pot noodle. “The warmth from the broth par-cooks them, so you continue to get that crunch and sprout flavour. Chuck in some spring onion and coriander, too, and … gourmand.”
Extra beansprouts may be pickled, Wan provides, and eaten with equally warming bowls of noodles or rice dishes. “Put them in a bowl, pour over boiling water, go away for 20 seconds, then drain and rinse the beansprouts beneath chilly water.” Wan then provides a bit vinegar, salt, sugar, fish sauce, perhaps soy, perhaps chillies. “They’ll final for an excellent seven days within the fridge.” Pham, too, is a fan of pickling, however her technique includes placing the beansprouts in a jar, including one half every of sugar and salt, two components vinegar and sufficient water to cowl them. “Pour that every one right into a pot, warmth, then pour the greens and vinegar resolution again into the jar.” Alter the seasoning to style, then seal and chill in a single day, able to serve with pork or to stuff inside sandwiches.
Beansprouts are additionally at house in spring rolls and lettuce wraps, or integrated into salads, which is Pranee Laurillard’s most popular choice. The writer of Guffawing Squid Cookbook (out November 3rd) says: “You may rework no matter greens you could have into one thing fancier by merely including beansprouts, a teaspoon of sesame oil, a squeeze of lime and teaspoon of miso.” Pham, in the meantime, makes use of the Vietnamese traditional nuoc mam chua dipping sauce (fish sauce, garlic, chilli, lime, rice vinegar) to decorate watercress, rocket, cucumber, tomatoes and (totally washed) beansprouts. “They’ll absorb all that sauce however keep actually contemporary.”
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