Snap peas.
Snap peas. (istockphoto)

Snap peas are sweet and crunchy with a bright green color, and generally when we cook them we try to preserve these qualities by blanching them in boiling salted water and then shocking them in ice water.

Then, we do whatever we're going to do with them: toss them in a salad with a vinaigrette or warm them in some butter, sprinkle them with almonds, and serve them with a hunk of animal protein.

This technique is fine, but there is a better way to get flavor into a snap pea (or a snow pea or a green bean): the Chinese way, in which the bean is stir-fried from a raw state with lots of finely chopped aromatics, some meat product and a little sauce to keep it from tasting greasy.

The aromatics are cooked in oil over high heat. I like to use dried shrimp, as well, an Asian product that has a concentrated, salty, seafood taste and is used in Asian food the way Western chefs use anchovies. The beans are tossed well in the fat, then a sweet, salty tangy sauce is added to coat them.

Many stir-fried green bean dishes are topped with caramelized shallots or onion, but I like to use pancetta and sesame seeds, which add a nice savory note.


Stir Fried Snap Peas With Pancetta 

Serves 4-6 as a side dish.



½ cup pancetta, thinly sliced and finely minced

2 tablespoons peanut, canola or safflower oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced ginger

2 tablespoons minced Anaheim or Fresno chiles

2 tablespoons dried shrimp (available in Asian supermarkets)

1 pound snap peas, green beans or snow peas, trimmed

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

½ cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds


Fry the pancetta in a dry pan over low heat until crispy and golden. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel. Set aside.

Heat a large sauté pan or wok over medium high heat. Add the oil and when hot, add the garlic, ginger and chiles and stir fry 2 minutes without browning. Add the dried shrimp and snap peas and stir fry 1 minute.

Add the brown sugar and light soy sauce and allow the sugar to dissolve. Add the chicken broth, bring to a full boil and add the rice vinegar.

Transfer to a platter and garnish with the pancetta and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.