Haricots Verts Almondine, a Thanksgiving side dish

There aren't many dishes that I would change for this year's Thanksgiving dinner, but I thought I would serve Haricots Verts Almondine, in lieu of Garlic Roasted String Beans. 

I had Haricots Verts Almondine for the first time at a wedding reception several years ago, and I never forgot it. It's a simply delicious French String Bean dish.  

In this dish, the French string beans are blanched and then sauteed in butter and olive oil . . . but what makes it amazing is that the string beans are tossed with caramelized minced shallots and toasted almonds, and then the very important splash of fresh lemon juice and zest . . . just takes it over-the-top. 

TIP: Be sure that each and every bite has shallots and almonds . . . and don't be surprised when helping yourself to a second serving ~ you find yourself spooning plenty of EXTRA shallots and almonds for the tasting! YUM!

Although I will be serving Haricot Verts Almondine as a Thanksgiving side dish, it tastes just as delicious alongside a perfect roast chicken for a weeknight dinner.  

With such an easy preparation ~ yielding such great flavors, I promise you THIS French string bean dish will make its appearance at your dinner table for many years to come.

Ingredients

Kosher salt

1/4 cup almonds

1 1/2 pounds haricots verts (French string beans), root ends removed

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots, minced

Freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 lemon, zested and juiced

Preparation

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, toast the almonds over medium-high heat until golden brown and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the pan, finely chop and set aside.

Blanch the string beans in salted boiling water until crisp but tender, 2 to 3 minutes. The salt will impart flavor as well as help keep the string beans crisp. Immediately drain and run cold water over the beans or plunge into an ice bath to cool and stop the cooking process, then remove and completely dry.

Return the saute pan to the burner over medium heat and melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the shallots, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until starting to brown, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes. Toss the drained beans with the shallots and add the lemon zest and juice. Cook to heat the beans completely through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Toss with the toasted chopped almonds and transfer to a serving dish.

bon appetit!

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