Green Beans Almondine
Green beans, crisp and vibrant, tossed with golden slivered almonds in rich, toasty butter and finished with fresh lemon. Sweet, nutty, with a delicate bite, it's the perfect festive side dish!
Ingredients
- 500 gr haricots verts green beans
- 50 gr unsalted butter
- 50 gr sliced almonds
- ½ lemon zested and juiced
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 pinch black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
1. Blanch the beans
- Bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil. Add the trimmed green beans and cook for 3–4 minutes, until tender-crisp and bright green. Drain and plunge straight into a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking. Drain again and pat dry.
2. Toast the almonds in butter
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the flaked almonds and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently, until the almonds are golden and fragrant and the butter has taken on their nutty flavour. Keep a close eye on them, they can go from golden to burnt very quickly. Tip the almonds onto a plate and set aside.
3. Toss the beans through the butter
- Return the pan to the heat and add the drained beans to the almond-infused butter. Toss well to coat and warm through for a minute or two, until the beans are hot and glossy.
4. Add the lemon
- Take the pan off the heat and add the lemon juice. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then toss to combine. The lemon should add brightness without overpowering the buttery flavour.
5. Return the almonds and serve
- Add the toasted almonds back to the pan and give everything one final toss. Serve immediately, while the beans are warm and the almonds are still crisp.
Notes
- Haricots verts are traditional, but regular green beans work with a slightly longer blanching time.
- The ice bath keeps the beans bright green and tender-crisp. Don't skip it.
- Browning the butter is what gives the dish its nutty depth. Watch it closely, as it burns quickly.
- Blanch the beans a day ahead to make this a five-minute finish.