When I went to culinary school in the early Eighties, the
chef instructors used “Green Beans Almondine” as a prime example for the kind
of stodgy, clichéd, faux-fancy, vegetable side dishes that we were supposed to
eradicate shortly after graduation.
This was the dawn of a new age of American
cookery, and something so old-fashioned as green beans almondine had no place
along side our newfangled raspberry vinaigrettes and cajun fish.
There was only one problem with this prohibition…green
beans and almonds tasted really good together, and made for a lovely side dish once in
a while. Of course, fearing you’d be laughed out of the young, hot cooks club
(hot from heat, not from hotness) you just didn’t dare make or serve such a
dinosaur.
Anyway, to make a long story short, I’ve finally done a
green beans almondine video, but added roasted garlic and blue cheese to it,
just in case any of my old classmates are watching. I actually did this at Thanksgiving, sans nuts, and it got
rave reviews, so I had a feeling the addition of the slivered almonds would
work just fine, and they did! I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
green beans almondine video, but added roasted garlic and blue cheese to it,
just in case any of my old classmates are watching. I actually did this at Thanksgiving, sans nuts, and it got
rave reviews, so I had a feeling the addition of the slivered almonds would
work just fine, and they did! I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4-6 portions:
1 pound green beans, blanched in boiling, salted water until
almost tender
1 pound green beans, blanched in boiling, salted water until
almost tender
3 heads garlic
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne to taste
1/3 cup sliced almonds browned in 1 tsp butter
2 oz Pt. Reyes blue cheese, or other blue cheese
400 degrees F. for 15 minutes