Green Beans and Crispy Shallots
This harmonious combination of green beans, shallots and butter is a winner. Try to get authentic haricots verts — thin, very young green beans — available in specialty food stores or at farmers' markets, or choose the smallest, firmest regular string beans you can find. Make sure to cook them fully; they should be tender, not crunchy. Too often beans are just blanched, and their taste is not what it should be.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1½ lb. green beans trimmed
- 1½ tsp. Morton kosher salt plus more
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large shallots thinly sliced
- 1 lb. mushrooms optional tough stems removed, torn into large pieces
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 oz. Parmesan finely grated (optional)
Instructions
- Cook green beans in a medium pot of boiling salted water until bright green, about 2 minutes. Beans should be cooked enough not to be crunchy. Drain and rinse green beans under cold water to stop them from cooking more and retain their color. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook shallots, stirring occasionally, until browned, frizzled, and crisp, 6–8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain, and immediately season with salt. Set aside for serving.
- Add mushrooms to same skillet and toss to coat with oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add butter, reserved green beans, and 1½ tsp. kosher salt. Cook, tossing often and spooning foaming butter over vegetables, until butter darkens slightly and smells nutty, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar and season generously with pepper. Cook, stirring often, 1 minute.
- Transfer green beans and mushrooms to a platter and spoon any sauce in pan over. Top with Parmesan and reserved crispy shallots.