Green Beans Two Ways
Keep some green beans plain and simple, and add a great herby-citrus seasoning to the rest.
Serving Size: 8
Maybe you want to make green beans for a meal, and want to do something a little special with them. But maybe you’re not sure everyone at the table is going to be a fan of that something special. This is the recipe for those occasions.
You can make these green beans and keep some absolutely plain and simple (Charlie can hoover down a pound of these when he’s in the right mood), and then keep going with an herby-citrusy gremolata for the rest.
These (by these in this case I mean the gremolata-ed version below) would be excellent as part of a holiday meal, pretty and fresh tasting and a welcome relief from the multitude of heavier dishes that load up the table. Double the amount of gremolata, and just season the whole bunch of them (and double the entire recipe as needed). Please: on the holidays we have a) enough to worry about without remembering to keep some green beans plain for the kids, and b) usually enough options that everyone will find something to eat.
If you can find haricot verts (which is French for green beans), buy them. They are a bit pricier than regular string beans, but they are thinner and more tender, and more elegant looking all lined up on a serving platter.
And while these green beans are wonderful hot, they are also just great at room temperature, which is of course a huge assist to the cook.
Green Beans Two Ways
- 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
- 3/4 teaspoon chopped rosemary
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2.5 pounds green beans
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1. In a small bowl, combine the tarragon, rosemary, lemon zest and orange zest. Season the gremolata with salt and pepper.
2. In a large skillet, cook the garlic in the butter over moderately high heat until just fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beans, toss to coat and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, cover tightly and bring to a boil. Cook until the beans are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the lid and cook, tossing occasionally, until the broth is nearly evaporated and the beans are tender, about 4 minutes longer. For simple beans: Transfer half of the beans to a bowl and season with salt and pepper. For gremolata-ed beans: Add the gremolata to the beans in the skillet and toss until fragrant. Stir in the orange and lemon juices and transfer the green beans to a bowl. Serve right away.
These look delicious, but several of my guests are not tarragon fans. Could that be replaced with another herb?
absolutely! Thyme or marjoram would be great, but really you can use any herb you like.