In their natural state, green beans can be severe
and squeaky. Our goal is to break through that, but we’re going about it all
wrong.
We tend to blanch beans first thing, even if we’re
going to sauté them. (I’m not sure why we do that, other than impatience, or an
abstract desire for brighter color.) And even if we skipped blanching, we’d
probably absently sauté some shallot or garlic, then add the beans—so they end
up tasting like sautéed shallot or garlic. None of this leads to bad green
beans. But they could be even better.
All you need to do, as I learned from Spanish
cookbook author Penelope Casas, is sear the beans in butter, covered, so they
stew in their own juices. Then, once they’re looking a little
saggy and soft, stir in salt and pulverized garlic off the heat. You could use
less garlic or leave it out, but its pushy sting will soften a little on the
warmth of the beans and frame our focus. Which, of course, is those green beans,
sweet and singed and alive, with none of their goodness overwritten or left
behind.
Serves 4
12 ounces (340g) fresh green
beans
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic,
crushed
Coarse salt
1 Snap off the tops of the beans. Melt the butter in a
skillet over medium heat. Add the beans, and cook them over a medium flame,
stirring, until they begin to brown. Lower the flame, cover, and cook for about
20 minutes, until the beans are the desired tenderness, stirring occasionally.
Mix in the garlic, sprinkle with salt, and serve immediately.
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