1poundfresh haricot verts(thin French green beans)
¼cupsliced almonds
2tablespoonsbutter
2garlic clovesminced
¼teaspoonblack pepperfreshly ground
Instructions
Fill a large pot with cold water. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Add a tablespoon (three teaspoons) of kosher salt. Drop the haricot verts into the salted boiling water. Bring the water back to a boil (this should take about 2 minutes). Boil the green beans for 2 minutes if using haricot verts or 4 minutes if using American green beans.
Drain and transfer the beans to a bowl filled with ice water for 1-2 minutes. Drain well and set aside on a plate.
Heat a large 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and toast them, stirring often, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Wipe the skillet with a paper towel. Add the butter. When the butter starts to foam, add the garlic. Cook, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
Add the haricot verts, ½ teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt), and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Toss for 1-2 minutes to reheat the beans, coat them in the butter, and combine them with the garlic.
Transfer the skillet contents to a serving plate. Top the beans with the toasted almonds and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition info: The nutrition info for sodium is a rough estimate. I assumed half of the salt added to the cooking water gets absorbed into the beans.Shortcut: The method of boiling and then blanching in ice water produces optimal results because it helps preserve the beans' bright green color and also helps ensure that they are not overcooked.Having said that, I realize it's quite tedious to use a pot for boiling the beans, a colander for draining them, and a bowl for the ice water, plus the skillet needed for cooking them in garlic and butter. That's quite a few steps and quite a few dishes to wash!So, if you'd like, you can skip these extra steps and skip to the step of cooking the garlic in butter and then adding the beans. You'll need to cook them over medium heat for around 3 minutes if they're thin and 4-5 minutes if they're thick.Leftovers: You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave. It's best to keep the toasted almonds separately if possible - you can keep them at room temperature in a small airtight container.