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Active Time
45 minutes
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Total Time
45 minutes
Green beans have a certain suave, slender elegance that makes them a classic accompaniment to rosy-red roast beef. But too often, they get short shrift: a quick drizzle of butter, a squirt of lemon, and onto the table they go. We suggest you coddle them a little this year. Try tossing them in a hot skillet with shallots and pecans that get caramelized in buttery brown sugar, and you'll see just how special green beans can be.
Editor's Note:This recipe is part ofGourmet'sModern Menu for A Christmas Classic. Menu also includesHerb-Crusted Beef Rib Roast with Potatoes, Carrots, and Pinot Noir JusandTiramisu Yule Log.
Ingredients
Makes 10 servings
Step 1
Heat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Step 2
Spread out pecans on a rimmed sheet pan and bake in oven until pale golden on inside, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool and coarsely chop.
Step 3
Have ready a colander submerged in a large bowl of ice water. Cook beans in a 6- to 8-quart pot of well-salted boiling water, uncovered, until just tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Using a large slotted spoon and/or tongs, transfer beans to colander in ice water to stop cooking, then drain well and dry on towels.
Step 4
Heat butter in a 12- to 14-inch deep heavy skillet (preferably straight-sided) over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then add shallot and cook, stirring until pale golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 5
Reduce heat to medium and stir in sugar until almost dissolved, then cook pecans, stirring, 1 minute.
Step 6
Add green beans, kosher salt, and pepper, and sauté beans, turning them with tongs, until heated through, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve.
•Beans can be trimmed 1 day ahead and kept chilled in a sealable plastic bag.
Nuts can be lightly toasted 1 day ahead and kept chilled, covered.
How would you rate Green Beans with Caramelized Pecans?
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Reviews (22)
Back to TopI love this recipe! Have made it several times and my sons girlfriend loves it too, after swearing she hates beans. This is one of our favs!!
Donna B
Edgewater, MD
11/22/2022
Very good...lots of thumbs-up. My adaptation is I used glazed pecans...the type you put in a salad. Chopped. Skipped the extra steps of toasting the pecans and adding brown sugar. I also used 1/4 red onion, finely chopped, in lieu of shallots that I don't normally have on hand. Par boil time in salted water was 5 mins. Then drained, shocked in ice water, towel-dried, and returned to pan to finish. 1 lbs fresh green beans, trimmed, makes a dinner side dish for 4.
StevePaul
Mount Juliet, TN
2/21/2022
I liked the recipe, but felt it was missing savory, so added 4 slices of chopped bacon which I browned and cleaned the pan before going with the butter as the base fat. It got rave reviews and requests for the recipe.
Todd
plano, texas
12/26/2021
My husband has a sweet tooth, I do not; he raved, I did not. With all that butter and all that sugar the shallots got lost, even though I used extra, so to me this tasted like pecan pie with green beans. Definitely not my thing but he loved them, so half a win and 3 stars.
Amos
Tucson, AZ
12/24/2021
This was excellent! Really interesting and nuanced flavors. Highly recommend, and will definitely make again!
Anonymous
Detroit, MI
11/29/2021
Makes a decent side dish, but seems like more effort than necessary for what you get.
Anonymous
VA
8/5/2021
This recipe is wonderful! My son-in-law actually made them (with a little help ) and they turned out so delicious. The ice water keeps them perfectly crisp to the bite. This will be a staple in our home for future holidays!
Deedsb
Texas
12/26/2020
I loved this recipe; used only 1 tsp of sugar though and it was plenty sweet. I also skipped putting the beans in ice water and put them right into the pan with the precooked pecans, scallions, and butter. They did not overcook.
Sebagoanne
Maine
9/14/2020
Very nice! Went very well with the tenderloin we had for Xmas and the goat cheese mashed potatoes. To my horror we were out of brown sugar so we used a little bit of granulated sugar. I'm sure brown would have been better and will definitely use next time. Point is, the beans still were outstanding.
Anonymous
Michigan
1/4/2020
Have made this several times - a family favorite, even for those who don't like green beans they love this!
NurseDebby
Queen Creek, Arizona
11/28/2019
Made this for Christmas dinner, and it was outstanding. This is a great way to dress up green beans, which we have often. The leftovers were delicious.
Anonymous
Boulder, CO
1/4/2019
Fantastic recipe! I made this for Thanksgiving and got so many compliments (even requests for the recipe) that I made it again on Christmas Eve to equal applause. It is so simple to make, and even the kids liked it. This recipe is going into my permanent collection.
ginevra1
New England
12/25/2016
This was soooo yummy. I used chopped walnuts instead of pecans.
JenniLeigh
NYC
7/10/2015
OMG, so easy to make and very tasty. Made for friends dinner and everyone loved it!
wattersdaniel
Toronto, On
4/19/2015
Excellent and will be the go-to for holiday dinners. Everyone loved them.
Anonymous
Burtonsville, MD
1/10/2015
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