This year’s Valentine’s Day feast at Cooking by the Book featured duck breast:
To complement the duck, we served twice-baked potatoes with caviar and these green beans. Green bean flavor is not quite harsh but surely intense. To create a dish that has a wider flavor profile, that is a side dish to capture your attention, we paired the green beans with this vinaigrette of vinegar, mustard and roasted chestnuts. Yes, chestnuts. With their own distinctively intense flavor, the chestnuts can stand on their own and successfully compete and then complement the green beans.
The beans are wonderful for strong protein dishes, whether four-footed, or winged, or finned: steak, duck or chicken, or certainly salmon.
Green Beans with Roasted Chestnut Vinaigrette
Yield: serves 8
Ingredients:
For the vinaigrette:
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon hot Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 to 4 roasted chestnuts, peeled, and minced or grated (depending on desired consistency)
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the beans:
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound green beans, stem end trimmed, beans halved diagonally
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 large shallots, thinly sliced
- 10 fresh shitakes, stems discarded, caps julienned
Preparation:
In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar and Dijon until well combined. Whisk in the oil until emulsified. Stir in the chestnuts, 1 tablespoon at a time to ensure desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
In a large pot filled with salted water over high heat, blanch the green beans until tender but still slightly firm, about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a mixing bowl. Toss with chestnut dressing.
In a skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and sauté the shallots until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, toss well, and continue to sauté until just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes more.
To serve, transfer the beans to a serving dish. Garnish with shallots and mushrooms and serve with extra dressing on the side, if you wish.
Source: Corinne Trang at Cooking by the Book with inputs from Wikipedia
Photo Information: Canon T2i, EFS 60mm Macro Lens, F/4.0 for 1/60th second at ISO‑400