Dinner Tonight: String Beans with Arugula
I was pleasantly surprised at the flavor packed into this dish, all dependent on a few strong elements: spicy arugula, tart lemon zest, and caramelized garlic. The three boost an otherwise mild and humble string bean. Though I had a perfectly flaky, delicious salmon steak on my plate, all I wanted to gobble up were these beans.
Texture is an important part, so be sure to cook the beans all the way until they're tender and have lost their backbone. I read somewhere that cooking beans "al dente" does them a disservice. It's far better to cook beans the traditional way until tender; they're rather unpleasant raw, in this dish at least, since it allows the garlic slices to provide texture. Otherwise, the preparation is dead simple, and if you've pre-boiled the beans, it can come together in the time it takes the salmon steak to rest.
About the author: Blake Royer lives in Brooklyn and spends most of his free time cooking and writing about it here at Serious Eats and on The Paupered Chef. From 9 to 5 weekdays, he works as an assistant book editor in Manhattan.
String Beans with Arugula
- serves 6 as a side -
Adapted from Gourmet
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds green or yellow beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons extra–virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
4 oz baby arugula, or leaves from 1 pound arugula, chopped
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Procedure
1. Bring a large pot of salty water to boil and cook beans, uncovered, until tender. Drain in a colander.
2. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, then add the oil until it's shimmering. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 1-2 minutes. Add the beans, arugula, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Cook, tossing, until the arugula is wilted, an additional 2 minutes.
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1 Comment:
As a Southern girl, I cook my green beans "to death" as most folks from the North say. This sounds really good as an alternative. I have 1# fresh White Half runners in the frig and this will be my side dish tonight. Thanks for the idea!
alpurv at 10:20AM on 10/01/08