Crisp green bean almondine, a simple side dish, which is made extra special by the addition of buttery, pan fried almonds and a sprinkling of dill. If there was ever a reason to start eating your greens - this surly must be it!
Trimming green beans needn't be a hassle. The ends that need to go are the ones with the remaining stems (where the bean was attached to the plant). The thinner tapered end can stay - no trimming required.
Line the bean up so the stem ends are all together on the same side, use your hand to line up evenly then slice the stem tips off with a sharp knife.
How to clean green beans
As with most veg, fruits and salads, green beans can be rinsed under cold tap water to ensure any debris and dirt has been washed away.
How to Make Green Bean Almondine
The first important step in this recipe is how to boil green beans correctly so they stay crisp and bright green. Start by adding washed and trimmed green beans to a small pan. Add boiling water from the kettle and simmer on the stove for 2 minutes.
After 2 minutes immediately drain the water and plunge the green beans into iced water to stop the cooking process and to help keep the green beans crisp and bright in colour.
Next, place a frying pan on a medium heat and add 50g of butter. Once the butter has melted add the flaked almonds and toss together. Fry for 5 minutes, allowing the almonds to lightly brown.
Add a squeeze of lemon juice and then take off the heat. RECIPE NOTE: Adding the juice will cause the butter to simmer and reduce rapidly, this further browns the butter and almonds. Removing the pan from the heat prevents burning.
Drain the green beans from the iced water. Add to the pan and toss with the buttered almonds. Stir in some fresh dill, season, and then serve immediately.
This recipe should ideally be served immediately from the pan. However, there are couple of preparatory steps you can undertake ahead of time. The initial blanching of the beans is finished by plunging the beans into iced water (see steps 1 and 2 above). Once the beans are fully cooled they can be transferred to a container and stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours or until needed.The lemon and dill can be sliced and the butter and almonds can be weighed out and also all stored in the fridge.When ready to serve, all that remains is melting the butter in the pan, cooking the almonds for 5 minutes and then adding the lemon juice, beans and dill.