Garden Overflow – Sautéed Green Beans with Fried Shallots
One problem with a big garden is that when one type of vegetable is ripe, you are swamped with it. I know, I know, if all our problems were only this big and serious. Cue the violins. When I experience this garden overflow, I share with friends and neighbors, I preserve or freeze a little, and we eat an abundance of those vegetables, often for days, even weeks at a time. Thus, I am always looking for new recipes and preparations to keep things exciting.
Right now I am picking pounds of green beans. I have tender, fat ones and skinny haricot verts. There are tall pole beans with climbing vines grabbing onto whatever they can, and short bush beans, close to the ground. I’ve planted them every few weeks, so they keep coming and coming all summer long.
We eat them raw and in salads, and we eat them with dips and as part of a stir fry. But my favorite way to eat them is to quickly parboil them, briefly sauté them, and top them with crispy fried shallots. Several years ago, our friend Shelley shared this recipe with me and its simplicity and flavor make it a keeper. It’s perfect for Thanksgiving, and for using up the green beans that are abundant in my garden right now.
Sautéed Green Beans with Fried Shallots
This dish can easily be made ahead of time and reheated and assembled just before serving, which makes it ideal for big family gatherings and holidays. I use a combination of butter and olive oil, but if you are serving vegans, use all olive oil. Make more fried shallots than you think you will need, as they have a habit of disappearing, little by little, before dinner is even served.
½ hour, serves 6
1 Tbsp. salt, plus more if needed
1 lb. green beans, trimmed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 large shallots, peeled and sliced into ⅛-inch wide rings
1 Tbsp. butter
¼ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- Bring a three quart pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Fill a bowl large enough to hold the green beans almost to the top with ice water. Add the green beans to the pot and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until they are just crisp-tender. Using a spider, strainer, or slotted spoon, remove the green beans from the boiling water and immediately submerge them in the ice water to stop the cooking and preserve their bright green color. After a few minutes, when they are cold, remove the green beans and blot them dry with paper towels. Place them in the refrigerator in a container until just before you are ready to serve them. The green beans can be cooked up to one day ahead.
- Dry out the pot and add the olive oil and shallots. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the shallots are golden brown and crispy all around, about 20 minutes. They can burn quickly, so moderate the heat as needed, stir often, and keep a close eye, especially when they are almost done. Remove the fried shallots to a small bowl, and reserve until ready to serve. Shallots can be cooked up to several hours ahead.
- Using the same pot, without cleaning it, melt the butter over a low heat. Add the green beans, stirring as needed, and cook until warmed through. Stir in the pepper and taste. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Transfer the green beans to a serving plate and top with the fried shallots.
Yum Max, as always!