Introduction
Green Beans cooked right. A simple and delicious way to prepare fresh beans that pair perfectly with Roasted Chicken, Roasted Pork Chops, or Smoked Turkey Breast. Serve with Savory Rice and Mushrooms, or Garlic Parmesan New Potatoes to complement your next meal.
Green Beans Recipe
Green Beans
Equipment
- medium skillet
- glass bowl
- large sauce pan
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans – stemmed
- 1 slice of bacon
- 1 shallot – thinly sliced
- ¼ tsp Summer savory
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Ice water
Instructions
- Fill a glass bowl halfway with water and ice.
- Bring a large sauce pan full or water up to rolling boil.
- Put green beans into the boiling water, and boil until bright green and al dente (still firm but tender), about 3 minutes.
- Quickly remove the green beans from the boiling water and put them into the ice bath, until cold. They can be kept this way in the refrigerator for a few hours until ready to be prepared.
- When ready, drain the ice water.
- Bring a large pan up to medium heat, then add the bacon. Cook until bacon is fully rendered. It’s the rendered bacon fat that you are after. Remove the bacon from them pan, chop into bits, and reserve.
- Reduce the heat to low, then add the shallots. Sauté until lightly browned.
- Raise the heat to medium, add the drained green beans to the pan, and stir fry until hot.
- Toss in the cooked bacon.
- Toss in a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, and the savory.
- Serve immediately.
PRIVATE NOTES
Nutrition
More Information
Summer Savory
Summer Savory is an herb in the mint family, closely related to rosemary, sage, and thyme. It adds a special, delicate, wonderful flavor and light aroma that is reminiscent of oregano or thyme. You will be amazed at how it improves the flavor of cooked fresh green beans.
Use shallots instead of onion
Shallots have a light onion and garlic flavor. Peppery when raw, but sweet when cooked, shallots add a familiar, delicate, enjoyable flavor to cooked fresh green beans.
Blanching for perfect doneness
The key to perfectly cooked green beans is to blanch them first. Blanching allows them to be made in advance, kept in the refrigerator, then quickly finished right before serving. Boil the beans in salt water until al-dente, then quickly plunge them into an ice-bath. You will stop the cooking process at just the right level of doneness. The beans will be bright green, tender, firm, and not limp or over-cooked.
Finishing
When you are ready to finish, toss in hot rendered bacon fat to heat them up. Top with sea salt, summer savory and crumbled bacon for amazing flavor and presentation.
Related Recipes
Savory Rice & Mushrooms
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