Sweet slender green beans (called haricot verts) are the foundation of this seriously simple holiday vegetable dish. Don’t worry if you can’t find haricot verts; just look for fresh green beans that are not too thick.
I have made my share of green bean dishes, from cold green bean salads to green beans with caramelized lemon or onions. With the following recipe, you have just a few ingredients that can partially be made ahead.
The Ingredients
Green beans: I like to blanch green beans in boiling water to take the raw taste out of them and then finish them in a hot pan just before serving. You can cook the green beans up to six hours ahead of time and keep them refrigerated in paper towels until ready for the final cooking. Bring them to room temperature before finishing the cooking.
Miso butter: Miso butter is basically a compound butter of white or yellow miso paste and unsalted butter. It adds a unique rich, umami flavor to the green beans. And you won’t need any salt because the miso is salty.
Fuyu persimmons: I am a big fan of Fuyu persimmons, the small squat variety that becomes sweet and slightly crisp as it ripens. They are only around for a few months, so I like to use them in seasonal recipes. Make sure to remove the center where the pit is. I peel and cut around the pit, then thinly slice the persimmon pieces. This seems to be the easiest way to work with them. Persimmons add an appealing orange color and hint of faintly sweet fruitiness.
This is a lovely side dish for the season. And you can double or triple it if you are having a crowd. Serve it with simple grilled or roasted meat or poultry.
Sizzling Green Beans With Miso Butter, Fuyu Persimmons
Serves 4
For the Miso Butter
- 2 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon white or light-yellow miso
- Finely ground black pepper
For the Green Beans
- 1 pound small, tender green string beans (haricot verts) cleaned and ends removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 2 ripe Fuyu persimmons, peeled and cut into thin slices
Combine the butter, miso, and pepper in a small bowl. Mix until the mixture is completely blended. Reserve.
In a large saucepan, bring enough water to cover the beans to a boil. Immerse the beans and cook until tender but slightly resistant, about 3 to 4 minutes, depending upon how large they are. They should be slightly resistant. Rinse the beans in cold water and drain them well.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. When the oil is hot, add the beans and stir, turning up the heat to high. Cook the beans for 2 to 3 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until they are sizzling.
Add the miso butter and cook for another 30 seconds, making sure the butter is evenly coating the beans.
Place the beans in a medium serving dish and arrange persimmon slices on top of the beans. Serve immediately.
