Blistered Green Beans with Toasted Almonds
These are not my mum's haricots vert amandine.
by Erin Henderson
My mum loves green beans with almonds. She suggests them for every holiday dinner. And every holiday dinner my sister and I vote her down.
Green beans almondine, or haricots vert amandine, originates from France, likely from Provence, though it’s hard to tell when it came into the culinary fore. The best I can tell is the 1950’s, but even that date is a bit sketchy.
What I do know, is it came into my culinary fore as a child in the late 1970’s and early 80’s. A time when almondine (which just means things served with almonds such as trout or vegetables or anything, really), signified sophisticated dining. To my young palate, it signified boring dining. Steamed green beans with neutral blanched almonds tossed on top, does not a happy five-year-old make.
So, it’s never been my jam. Especially when there are so many other captivating vegetables and preparations to enjoy.
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But that all changed a few summers ago.
I was vacationing with my family at the cottage. On a day out in the small town nearby, we stopped for lake side drinks and a snack at one of the touristy restaurants lining the strip. Among the items we ordered, were summer-fresh beans, sauteed in brown butter until wrinkly, and confettied with toasted hazelnuts. They were so good: salty and rich with butter, nutty and crunchy with the roast nuts, and soft and squeaky beans seared within an inch of their life.
We went back to the cottage and replicated that same dish for dinner, although with almonds and not hazelnuts. And we’ve been making it ever since.
Blistered Green Beans with Toasted Almonds
Like most of our recipes, this is more of a “use what you have” rather than a dictum of exact portions. Still, what’s proffered below should get you in the ballpark.
I know it seems a bit unneccessary to boil then sauté your beans. All I can tell you is I've tried skipping the boiling step and it's taken longer to cook the beans to the right doneness, and by that time, they're more dried out than I would like. So, I always par-boil. You do you.
Makes: 1 pound
Chef level: easy
Ingredients:
- 1 pound fresh yellow or green beans, ends removed
- 4 Tbsp salted butter
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup almonds
- Zest of one lemon
How to Make It:
- Set the oven to 325°F
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spread the almonds in an even layer.
- Place the almonds in the oven, shaking and turning the tray occasionally for even toasting, about 8-10 minutes depending on your taste preferences.
- Remove from the oven, cool and chop, and set aside.
- Meanwhile bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the beans for about a minute to just soften.
- Melt the butter in a deep sauté pan until frothy and fragrant.
- Add the par-boiled beans, and season gently with salt and pepper, tossing occasionally, allowing to cook until well done and slightly charred in places.
- Test for salt and pepper, toss with the chopped almonds, and pour on to a serving plate, along with the melted butter from the pan. Scatter lemon zest on top and serve.