I just can't resist fresh green beans whenever I see them at the grocery store. They always look so gorgeous! Lately, my roommate and I have gotten in the habit of making up a huge pot of green beans and polishing off the whole thing for supper. It's cheap, easy, fast...what more could you want?
This is one of my favorite ways to make green beans. It's a twist on the classic green beans amandine. (I'd like to point out that "amandine" almost seems like a frenchified version of my name, and I've always found that very cute.) Another day, I'll talk about that lovely southern dish, string beans cooked down with bacon. But today, we celebrate the crunchiness and freshness of the green bean.
GREEN BEANS WITH SHALLOTS AND PECANS
1 bunch fresh green beans
1 shallot
2-3 tbs butter
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup pecans
salt & pepper
With scissors, snip the ends off of the green beans. Prepare an ice bath (a large bowl filled with ice and water.) Boil a large pot of water with a couple tablespoons of salt. Cook the beans in the boiling water for 3-4 minutes, until they are just tender but still slightly crunchy. Immediately drain the beans and drop them in the ice bath. This will halt the cooking process and prevent soggy beans.
Return the same empty pot to the stove, and melt the butter. While the butter is melting, peel and and cut the shallot into very thin slices. When the butter is melted, add the shallot. Cook the shallots, stirring often, until they are translucent and slightly caramelized.
Add the green beans back into the pot. Coat in the butter and shallots. Squeeze half a lemon over the top of the green beans and give them a few shakes of salt & pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl and add the pecans on top.
Roommate, eh? haha.
ReplyDeleteThese look delicious. We should make them soon.
Amanda . . . I'm so glad that we share green bean addiction. One of the ways I have found to be unfairly good (let's face it, this is guilt food) and a bit cheating (because it's like eating dessert for the main but it's still veg) is to cook the beans to the crisp as you have above and then toss them in pan that you have allowed generous chunks (so I always have to ask the butcher to cut me a proper thick round) of pancetta, the epitome of salty fat, to brown to nearly crisp on the outside but warmed through the middle, along with three or four generous heaping tablespoons of raspberry preserves. Some fresh pepper added, but here there's only personal taste to dictate. Green beans in the syrupy, salty-sweet mess, a proper toss, then a handful (a pint is generous enough, though really, go as generous as you would here, this is guilt food in the best of ways) of fresh raspberries added in just until the heat makes them burst. Immediately into a bowl. (They go a bit off in terms of crispiness the day after, so I always try to plan to feed just enough.)
ReplyDeletePreston you are a sick sick man! In a good way. I need to make that IMMEDIATELY.
ReplyDeleteGreen beans for dinner... I could do that
ReplyDeletegreen beans and pecans, sound so much better than almonds...what a great way to serve them!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you think so! And the pecans here in Texas are always so gorgeous. I can't resist them in anything.
ReplyDelete