Green Beans with Bacon and Shallots
Ingredients
Directions
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Meanwhile fill a bowl with ice and water. Cook the beans until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the ice water, leave for a few minutes, then drain.
Heat a large, heavy saute pan over medium heat and add the bacon. Saute until crisp. Remove from the pan and drain on racks.
Add the shallots to the bacon fat and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring often or shaking the pan, until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add the green beans and cook, stirring, until heated through. Adjust seasonings, sprinkle with the bacon, and serve immediately.
Recipe Testers' Tips
You simply cannot go wrong with fresh green beans and bacon. I picked our first green beans of the season today. This recipe really made the beans shine, without overwhelming them. My husband and I both enjoyed them with the crispy bacon, shallots and mushrooms. The beans were exceedingly young and tender. We both feel this recipe would make a great company dish — it just has that little extra something.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Tamiko Lagerwaard
I made this to go with a standing rib roast and it was a perfect accompaniment. I made one small change and swapped in prociutto for the bacon as it was what I had on hand. I chopped the prociutto and browned it with a bit of olive oil and then added a finely diced shallot and the mushrooms. I seasoned this well with salt and pepper. I cooked this for 5 or so minutes longer than suggested so that all was nicely browned. Simply running the cooked beans under cold water was also enough to stop the cooking and keep them tender. I loved how easily and quickly this came together and that it was all done in one pot.