Recipes > French Beans
French Beans with Almond and Lemon
I think it was secondary school that killed french beans off for me. Overcooked and bland...yuck. It was only when I started cooking professionally that I rediscovered a liking for this vegetable. The tanginess of the lemon, the indulgent fat from the butter mixed with the bite from the sea salt and cracked black pepper does wonders. This is truly a wonderful side dish and an excellent accompaniment for most dishes.

As ever with side dishes the ingredient weights are just a guide. As you progress in skill you will be able to add ingredients by eye and palate.

Serves 4

Recipe Ingredients
450g / 1lb french beans
1/2 Tsp salt
30g / 1oz butter
30g/ 1oz almonds
1 lemon, juice of

Mise-en-Place:
Preheat the grill
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil
Juice the lemon
Cut the tops from the beans, then wash

Method:
Put the beans and salt into the boiling water
Boil for 4-5 minutes.
When the exterior is soft and the core has a slight bite to it (the culinary term for this is 'al dente'.)
Remove from heat and drain
Brown the almonds off beneath the grill
Return french beans to the saucepan with the lemon, butter and almonds.
Fry quickly over a high heat for 1 minute
Season with salt and pepper
Serve

Chef Tip:
Buying french beans from the supermarket? Cut the tops off whilst they are still in the bag to save time.

Not serving the beans right away? Rinse the beans under cold water to stop the cooking process, this will preserve the green colour and prevent the beans from overcooking and becoming too soft to the touch. The culinary term for this is 'refreshing'.