The Australian saltbush plant produces one of the most unique flavoured herbs of all time. Combine the deeply earthy flavours that give way to a naturally salty finish with the crunch of the purple beans drizzled with garlic oil.
Add 1 cup of avocado or any vegetable oil into a medium sized saucepan. When hot, deep fry saltbush leaves for about 15 – 20 seconds. Remove when crispy and lay on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Chop garlic cloves finely and place in a microwave safe bowl. Add 3 tbsp of avocado oil. Place in the microwave 30 seconds at a time until the garlic has turned golden brown and slightly crispy.
Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Add a small amount of salt.
Remove the ends of the purple beans and blanch in salted water for 2 minutes. Remove and place in cold water to stop the cooking process. Pat dry and set aside to cool.
Place the beans on a serving plate and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Drizzle with garlic oil.
Place crispy saltbush leaves on the top.
Season with a little more salt and pepper to taste.
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Notes
Please note that once purple beans are introduced to heat, they turn green. So, of course, using regular green beans will be fine.
You can use any vegetable oil for deep frying and for making garlic oil. Avocado oil was used as it withstands high heat cooking exceptionally well and doesn’t have a strong flavour.
Using the microwave to make garlic oil has consistently produced the best results. The oil remains clean, and as you’re doing it 30 seconds at a time, you can control how golden brown the garlic becomes without burning it.
Nothing can really replace native saltbush but understand it’s not something easy to procure. Sage would be a suitable replacement and would taste fantastic with the beans.
For more crunch, feel free to add nuts and seeds of your choice.