Bean Jelly With Chile Vinegar Sauce Recipes

HOW TO MAKE JELLY BEANS

Steps:

• Combine water, sugar, and gelatin. Place the water, granulated sugar, and gelatin in a large saucepan. Stir to combine.
• Boil the mixture. Place the saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Allow the gelatin mixture to reach a boil, stirring frequently. You'll need to stir the mixture with a wooden or plastic spoon as it heats up. Otherwise, the gelatin granules may gather together and form lumps. Once the mixture reaches a boil, use a wet pastry brush to wash down the sides of the pan. Doing so removes any sugar clinging to the sides and creates a smoother syrup.
• Cook to 230 degrees Fahrenheit (110 degrees Celsius). Insert a candy thermometer into the mixture as soon as it reaches a boil. Continue cooking the syrup until it reaches a temperature of 230 degrees Fahrenheit (110 degrees Celsius). With the stove heat set to medium, this process should take 20 to 25 minutes. Do not allow the syrup to reach temperatures much higher than this. If it does, the resulting jelly beans will become hard instead of chewy.
• Set the saucepan in ice water. Fill a large bowl with cold water and add a tray of ice cubes. Place the bottom of the saucepan in this bowl and keep it there for 5 minutes. If you do not have a large enough bowl, you can fill your sink with ice water, instead. The ice water should stop the temperature from rising any higher.
• Add the juice and salt. Pour the juice into the syrup and sprinkle it with the salt. Stir well to combine. You can use any flavor juice for this recipe. If you opt for a mild flavor, consider adding an extra squeeze of lemon juice to enhance it. Alternatively, you can use liquid flavoring or extracts instead of juice. Since these options are more concentrated, you'll only need to add a few drops instead of the full 1/2 cup (125 ml). You may also wish to enhance the color of these beans by adding a few drops of food coloring to the syrup, but doing so is not necessary since you'll be adding a colorful shell later on.

BEAN-AND-BEEF CHILI

Steps:

• Heat 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Pat the beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown in batches, about 4 minutes, adding more oil as needed. Transfer to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the pot. Add the onions and garlic; cook, stirring, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add 1/3 cup chili powder, the oregano and tomato paste; cook, stirring, 30 seconds.
• Return the meat to the pot and stir in the tomatoes with their juices, broth, espresso and pinto beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the beef is tender, about 2 hours.
• Stir the remaining 2 tablespoons chili powder into the chili. Divide among bowls. Top with cheese, sour cream and/or avocado.
• Hot:
• This base recipe is relatively tame; a last-minute hit of chili powder adds just a touch of heat.
• Hotter:
• Add 5 crumbled dried arbol chiles to the pot with the tomato paste, then continue as directed.
• Hottest:
• Add 5 crumbled dried arbol chiles with the tomato paste and continue as directed, omitting the beans. Stir in 1 cup chopped pickled jalapenos before serving.

BEAN JELLY WITH CHILE VINEGAR SAUCE

Steps:

• Make jelly:
• Bring water, mung-bean starch, and salt to a boil in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan, then boil over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is very thick and translucent, about 3 minutes. Transfer to an 8-inch square baking dish and cool to room temperature, about 45 minutes. Cover surface with plastic wrap and chill until jelly is firm, about 2 hours.
• Make sauce:
• Stir together soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, oils, ginger, and garlic in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved.
• Assemble dish:
• Run a thin knife around side of jelly to loosen, then unmold onto a cutting board. Cut jelly into 3 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Carefully transfer to sauce in bowl, then gently stir in scallions and daikon. Serve with Sichuan-pepper oil and red-chile oil on the side.