Ingredients

Edamame

Other Names: Fresh soybean, vegetable soybean.

General Description: Edamame (Glycine max) are fresh green Japanese soybeans sold in their hairy green pods. These young green soybeans, as bright and as sweet as green peas, have small, flattened pods. Inside the pods are smooth-skinned plump beans that resemble baby limas in both appearance and use. Edamame were specially developed in Japan to use as a fresh shell bean. They are a well-loved snack in China and Japan and often served in the U.S. at sushi restaurants. Their Japanese name, eda-mame, means “branch beans.” They are sold as bunches of stalks with the pods attached in Asian markets and as loose pods in supermarkets.

Season: Edamame are in season in the summer although they are now greenhouse-grown in Japan year-round.

Purchase: Look for brightly colored, even-sized, plump pods.

Avoid: Do not purchase shriveled or discolored edamame.

Storage: Refrigerate in an open container for up to 1 week.

Preparation:

Cut the pods from the stalks with scissors.
Place the beans pods in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Rub until evenly coated.
Let the beans rest for 15 minutes to absorb the salt, enhancing their color and accenting their sweet flavor.
Boil 1 pound edamame in 1 gallon of water for 7 to 10 minutes. Taste and continue cooking if you prefer a softer bean. Or roast in the pod at 350 ̊F for about 15 minutes.
To eat, press the beans from the pod into your mouth. Eat the beans the same day they are cooked as their delicate flavor fades quickly.

Serving Suggestions: Serve as a snack with cocktails or beer. Add boiled edamame to composed salads. Use in succotash or other dishes in place of baby lima beans. Use in pasta dishes or sautés of fish, chicken, or seafood in place of fresh fava beans or peas.

Flavor Affinities: Corn, crab, ginger, green onion, lemon, sesame oil, soba noodles, soy sauce, sushi, tofu, tomatoes.

from Quirk Books: www.quirkbooks.com