Almost-Famous Green Bean Fries

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 1 hr 15 min
  • Active: 45 min
  • Yield: 2 to 4 servings
T.G.I. Friday’s doesn’t exactly specialize in health food: The mega-chain is famous for bar food like loaded potato skins and Jack Daniel’s–glazed chicken wings. So, it’s no surprise that when the restaurant added veggies to the appetizer list, they were deep-fried. The dish, Crispy Green Bean Fries, hit the menu in 2006, and customers went crazy. The beans are coated in a garlicky breading, fried and served with cucumber-wasabi ranch dip. They’re a top-seller these days, and fans like Karlyn Siegwarth from Pittsburgh have been begging us for the recipe. Reps in Carrollton, TX, wouldn’t give it up, so our chefs created this perfect copy.

Ingredients

For the Dip:

For the Beans:

Directions

  1. Make the dip: Puree the dressing, cucumber, horseradish, milk, vinegar, wasabi powder, cayenne pepper, and salt to taste in a blender until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  2. Prepare the beans: Fill a large bowl with ice water. Bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Add the green beans and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the beans with a slotted spoon and transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking. Let cool in the water, then drain and pat dry.
  3. Whisk the egg and milk in a shallow bowl. Put 1/2 cup flour in another shallow bowl. Combine the breadcrumbs, the remaining 1/2 cup flour, the onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste in another bowl.
  4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the green beans in the flour and shake off the excess. One at a time, dip the beans in the egg mixture, dredge in the breadcrumb mixture and lay on the prepared baking sheet. Freeze until the coating is set, about 30 minutes.
  5. Heat 3 inches oil in a deep pot over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Fry the green beans in batches until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the beans with tongs or a skimmer to a rack or paper towels to drain. Serve with the dip.