Jamie's Dinners
15 mins
Super easy
serves 4
About the recipe
Serve this gorgeous green bean salad warm to enjoy all those lovely flavours to the full.
Recipe From
Ingredients
4 handfuls of French beans, stalk ends removed
2–3 heaped teaspoons good French mustard, to taste
2 tablespoons good-quality white wine vinegar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium shallot, peeled and finely chopped
optional: 1 tablespoon capers
½ a clove of garlic, finely grated
optional: a small handful of fresh chervil
Top Tip
Keep your eyes open for different colour beans – green, yellow or black – as a mixture will make it even more interesting. And when preparing them, leave the wispy ends on as they look so nice.
Method
- Bring a pan of water to a fast boil, add your beans, put a lid on the pan, and cook for at least 4 to 5 minutes. Boiling the beans fast like this helps them to retain all their nutrients.
- Meanwhile, put the mustard and vinegar into a jam jar or bowl and, while stirring, add the olive oil to make a good hot French dressing. Season carefully with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then add the finely chopped shallot, the capers if you're using them and the garlic.
- Remove one of the beans from the pan to check if it's cooked. If it holds its shape but is also soft to the bite, it's perfect. Drain in a colander.
- Now, while the beans are steaming hot, this is the perfect moment to dress them – a hot bean will take on more of the wonderful dressing than a cold one. It is best to serve the beans warm, not cold, and certainly not at fridge temperature because the flavours will be muted and boring. Serve the beans in a bowl, sprinkled with chervil if you like – it's a delicate, crunchy herb that goes well with beans. Serve as a salad in its own right, or as an accompaniment to a main meal.
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