Serves8 to 10
- Active Time:30 min
- Start to Finish:30 min
Liberate your green beans from casserole purgatory with a lively mix of butter, ginger, and lemon zest. It's a refreshing departure from a plate heaped with heavy fare.
November 2006
-
2
lb
haricots verts or other green beans, trimmed
-
1
(3-inch-long) piece fresh ginger
-
3
tablespoons
unsalted butter
-
Finely grated zest from 1/2 lemon (see cooking tips)
-
1/2
teaspoon
salt
-
Cook beans in an 8-quart pot of boiling salted water (see
cooking tips), uncovered, until just tender, 5 to 9 minutes (depending on thickness). Drain beans in a colander and transfer to a large bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Drain beans again and pat dry.
-
Peel ginger and halve crosswise, then thinly slice lengthwise and cut into very thin matchsticks.
-
Heat butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook ginger, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes.
-
Add beans and cook, stirring, until just heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add zest and salt, tossing to combine.
Cooks’ note: Beans can be boiled, but not cooked with ginger butter, 1 day ahead and chilled, wrapped in paper towels in a sealed plastic bag.
