Simple Green Beans
The Nitty Gritty:
These delicious beans are a snap to put together.- Level: 1
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Yields: 3-4 servings
- Tags: vegetables
This recipe, with a few modifications, comes from a French cooking class at L’Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda, Maryland.
Ingredients:
- ½ pound green beans, washed and with ends snipped off
- 1 shallot
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- sea salt
Instructions:
- Fill a large pot three-quarters full with water, then heavily salt with the sea salt. (It should taste like the ocean.)
- Bring to a boil and add beans, boiling for 8-10 minutes, until they are crisp-tender.
- While the beans are cooking, fill a large bowl with ice water.
- When the beans are ready, use kitchen tongs to drop them into the ice bath. This is a technique called blanching--the ice water stops the cooking process on contact, preserving the beans' crispness.
- After a few minutes, use the tongs again to place the beans on a clean kitchen towel. Wrap loosely and place in refrigerator. (You can do this step up to one day ahead).
- About five minutes before serving, heat the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots when the butter is melted and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth. When the broth starts to bubble and steam, add green beans and cook until everything is hot. Serve immediately.
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By Alison L. McConnell
Alison L. McConnell is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and writer. A native of New Jersey and upstate New York, she attended Bowdoin College in Maine and the London School of Economics before settling in Washington, where she works as a financial reporter and pursues her zeal for cooking on the side. Some of her favorite things to make are risottos, roast chickens, and cakes. She abides by a long-standing family motto: McConnells always finish their desserts.
About The Humble Gourmand
The Humble Gourmand is a monthly online publication edited by Alison L. McConnell, a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and writer. It is designed to offer straightforward lessons and advice to aspiring cooks, oenophiles, and all other eaters and drinkers.
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