Green Beans with Hazelnut Gremolata
GREEN BEANS WITH HAZELNUT GREMOLATA
By Williams Sonoma for Sunbasket
Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 10-20 min Total Time: 20-30 min
Serves: 8
Oven Temp: N/A
Skip the canned mushroom soup and freshen up your green beans this Thanksgiving with a zesty, mouthwatering side dish that will impress all of your friends and family. You may substitute the more affordable almonds for hazelnuts, but do NOT skimp on the preserved lemon peel. I promise, it will be worth it.
1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts
2-3 cloves peeled fresh garlic; minced, grated or pressed (if you don’t have a garlic press, get one!)
1 wedge of preserved lemon
6-7 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar (may sub red or white wine vinegar)
1-2 shallots
2 lbs green beans
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Olive oil
Sugar, optional
Make the gremolata; coarsely chop the hazelnuts (or place in a Ziplock baggy and crush with a bowl). Remove any pulp from the preserved lemon. Finely chop the peel. In a small, combine the hazelnuts, garlic, preserved lemon, parsley, champagne vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil and up to 1 teaspoon sugar, if desired. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Let stand while you prepare the green beans.
Peel the shallots and cut them crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices. Separate the slices into rings.
Trim the stem ends from the green beans (or “snip” them, if you will), if desired.
In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm 2-3 tablespoons oil until hot but not smoking. Add the shallots. Season with salt & pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften (2-3 minutes).
Stir in the red wine vinegar and cook until starting to thicken (about 1 minute).
Add the green beans and cook, stirring often, until crisp-tender (8-10 minutes) and still a nice, vibrant green color. Season to taste with salt & pepper.
Transfer the green beans to a serving bowl and top with the hazelnut gremolata.
