Everything Bagel Seasoning Blistered Green Beans

I had a great green bean harvest this year so I've been searching for new ways to cook them. I had some delicious wok seared green beans at a sushi restaurant. They had that blistered look with a coating of sesame oil and sesame seeds. It made me want to figure out a version at home.

I had some everything bagel seasoning which has sesame seeds in it so figured they would go great with green beans. And boy did they. These beans were fantastic. The trick is to preboil the beans to get them tender. Then sear them in a dry, non-oiled skillet to give them that blistered look. Then add the oil and flavorings to coat them. If you try to add the oil and flavorings first, they'll never blister. They'll just get mushy. 

Now I have a new go-to recipe for all those green beans.

Ingredients

• 1 pound green beans, trimmed
• 1 tbsp oriental sesame oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp raw or brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp everything bagel seasoning (or sub sesame seeds with 1/4 tsp salt)

Directions

• Boil 3-4 cups of water. I like to do this in the skillet I will eventually cook the beans in to reduce the number of dishes, but just be careful as it is difficult to move the skillet filled with boiling water to the sink.
• Add the beans to the boiling water and boil for 3-4 minutes until the beans are tender. Be sure to test one to make sure it has the right consistency. You want them to be bright green and easy to bite but still to keep their shape.
• While the beans are boiling, mix the remaining ingredients (excluding the everything bagel seasoning) in a small bowl to form a sauce.
• Drain the beans and dry your skillet. Put the skillet back on the stove on medium high heat. Don't add any oil to the skillet yet.
• Add the beans and allow them to cook and blister for 2-3 minutes. Once blistered, add the sauce ingredients. Be careful as the skillet could be really hot at this point. It may help to turn the heat down to medium and remove the skillet for 30 seconds to cool down a bit. Keep cooking until the sauce liquid has evaporated and the sauce coats the beans. 
• With 1 minute left to cook just before the sauce thickens, add the everything bagel seasoning to coat the beans and toast the seeds. Remove from the heat and serve.