Name: Green Beans Amandine
Total time: 35 min
Yield: Serves 8
Cuisine: French, Europe
Ingredients: 1/3 cup sliced almonds; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces; 2 teaspoons lemon juice; 2 pounds green beans, stem ends trimmed; 1/2 cup water; ½ teaspoon table salt

Why This Recipe Works

A simple dish of green beans tossed with toasted almonds and a light lemon-butter sauce, green beans amandine is refined yet not intimidating. Unfortunately, recipes too often yield limp beans swimming in pools of overly acidic sauce, with soft, pale almonds thrown on as an afterthought. We wanted to revive this side dish with tender green beans, crisp almonds, and a balanced sauce.

For maximum flavor, we toasted the almonds then added some butter to the skillet and allowed it to brown for further nuttiness. Adding some lemon juice off the heat brightened our sauce considerably. After steaming the green beans in a little water in a covered skillet until they were crisp-tender, we tossed them with our sauce for a simple, flavorful take on this classic side.

Before You Begin

Use a light-colored traditional skillet instead of a darker non-stick skillet for this recipe to easily monitor the butter's browning.

Instructions

Toast ⅓ cup sliced almonds in large skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, until just golden, about 6 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, and cook, stirring constantly, until butter is golden brown and has nutty aroma, about 3 minutes. Transfer almond mixture to bowl and stir in 2 teaspoons lemon juice.

Add 2 pounds green beans, trimmed; ½ cup water; and ½ teaspoon table salt to empty skillet. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are nearly tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove lid and cook over medium-high heat until liquid evaporates, 3 to 5 minutes. Off heat, add reserved almond mixture to skillet and toss to combine. Season with salt to taste. Serve.