Garlic green beans
Green beans blanched until just tender, then tossed in a hot pan with butter, sliced garlic and a squeeze of lemon for a quick, bright side.
Method
- 1
Bring a large saucepan of well salted water to the boil.
- 2
Add the green beans and cook until bright green and tender but still with a slight snap.
- 3
Drain and plunge them into iced water to stop the cooking, then drain again and pat dry.
- 4
Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium heat until the butter foams.
- 5
Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until it turns pale gold at the edges.
- 6
Add the beans and toss until they are hot through and glossy with the garlic butter.
- 7
Take off the heat, squeeze over the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
- 8
Serve straight away.
Notes
- Watch the garlic closely. It goes from golden to bitter in seconds, so have the beans ready before it goes in.
- The beans can be blanched and chilled up to a day ahead, then finished in the pan just before serving.
- A handful of toasted flaked almonds turns this into green beans amandine.
Equipment
Large saucepan, Colander, Large bowl of iced water, Large frying pan