Green beans can be boring–but not these! I made them twice in a row and ate leftovers at lunch. I used some haricots verts, those skinny French green beans, that I bought at Costco. I was concerned that some would go to waste but that concern has disappeared with this recipe. The first time I made them, my eldest was here for dinner and she asked if she could have all the leftover beans for her lunch the next day. The second time I made them, I was alone and purposely made enough to have leftovers for myself the next day.
The recipe is from Barefoot Contessa Family Style, which I picked up at the local Half Price Books. I’ve made two recipes from it so far and both recipes I made twice in a row. The other one was for her Buffalo chicken wings. I halved the recipe for the green beans so adjusted the amounts a little but I’m giving her amounts here, which she says feeds 6.
Green Beans with Shallots
Ingredients
- 1 pound French string beans haricots verts
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large shallots, cut in a large dice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for the cooking water
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Trim the ends off the beans if they’re not already cleaned.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the beans for 1 1/2 minutes. (If you’re using regular green beans, blanch for 3 minutes.) Drain right away and put the beans in a bowl of ice water. You can do this part ahead of time.
- Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet and saute the diced shallots over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring periodically. You want them lightly browned.
- Drain the beans and add them back to the pan along with the salt and pepper. Stir and heat just until the beans are hot, then serve.
By the way, I just found this handy chart for converting kosher salt to table salt (and others). I now keep kosher salt in a Mason jar in a cupboard by the stove. I have table salt (sea salt) in a dish on the counter by the stove, since that’s what I usually use.
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