Equipment
Ingredients
Main Produce
- 400 g french green beans, trimmed
- 50 g shallots, finely diced
- 200 g roma tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced
Pantry and Seasoning
- 30 g unsalted butter
- kosher salt
- black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice cubes to create an ice bath. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil at 100°C/212°F. Add the trimmed green beans and boil until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon or tongs, immediately transfer the green beans from the boiling water directly into the prepared ice bath. Let them sit for 2 minutes to completely stop the cooking process, then drain and pat thoroughly dry.
In a large skillet, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. Add the finely diced shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until they are soft and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the diced tomatoes to the skillet with the shallots. Gently toss and cook just until the tomatoes are warmed through and begin to release a little juice, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the dry, blanched green beans to the skillet. Toss everything together to coat the beans in the butter and shallot mixture, cooking for about 1 minute just to reheat the beans.
Remove from heat. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Transfer to a warm serving platter and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- To achieve a true French presentation, consider preparing the tomatoes concasse style: score the bottoms, blanch them for 10 seconds, peel the skins, remove the seeds, and finely dice the flesh.
- Drying the beans thoroughly after the ice bath is crucial. Any residual water will dilute the delicate butter sauce and prevent it from coating the vegetables properly.
- Haricots verts are thinner and more tender than American string beans. If using standard green beans, increase the blanching time by 1 to 2 minutes.
- The residual heat of the skillet is often enough to warm the blanched beans. Avoid keeping them over direct heat for too long, or you risk overcooking them.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. The green beans will lose some of their vibrant color due to the acidity of the tomatoes over time.
Reheating: Sauté gently in a skillet over medium-low heat until just warmed through to preserve the texture.
