February 25, 2009

A Bean by a Fancy Name...

In the summers, my favorite green bean dish has been grilled "Kentucky wonder beans" with prosciutto and some Parmesan.

Thanks to McGinnis Sisters, I think I've found my favorite winter green bean dish: Haricots verts (aka, skinny green beans) with fried shallots and sage.

Had these with some chicken thighs/legs that I coated in a mix of diced herbs, olive oil, salt, pepper, and a few splashes of balsamic and then grilled (gotta love those unseasonably warm February days).

Haricots Verts with Fried Goodies
  • half-pound of Haricots Verts, cleaned
  • 2 tablespoons of sliced sage
  • 3 tablespoons of thinly sliced shallots
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • Quarter lemon
Get a small pan of well-salted water boiling. Put olive oil in a small sauce pan over medium/medium-high heat.

After a minute or two, add the shallots to the pan with the oil. After about 2-3 minutes, when the shallots are starting to look like they're moving past tender, add the green beans to the water and put the sage in the pan with the shallots.

When the shallots are starting to brown, approximately 2 minutes, remove from the heat. Beans should be in the boiling water for 2 minutes, max.

Drain the beans in a colander, put in a bowl. Remove the sage and shallots from the oil mixture with tongs or a slotted spoon and add to the beans.

Get about a tablespoon of the olive oil from the pan and add to the bowl. Add a squeeze of the lemon and salt and pepper to taste. Toss and serve immediately.

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