These blistered holiday beans are delicious which is surprising since I am not usually a huge green bean fan.
The name seemed appropriate in view of the colors of the dish though, in all actual fact, they are the serendipitous result of a very hot day's freezer clear out! It is a bit unfortunate that such a delicious dish concocted late summer dish ended up looking and tasting like the perfect dish for the winter holiday season -- save it and use it for Thanksgiving.
I served it with seared balsamic scallops which I dotted with garlic chive blossoms; this somehow added to the holiday effect.
1 portion of fresh green beans (mine is a large handful)
1/2 cup whole cranberries (frozen is fine), halved
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 Tbsp thinly sliced mint or shiso
1 tsp olive oil
Salt to taste
Top and tail the green beans and cut into thirds. Wash and drain roughly.
Add the oil to a large skillet (non-stick works best for this dish) and heat over medium heat until it shimmers.
Add the green beans to the pan (be careful because the damp beans may cause the oil to sputter) and cook for four minutes, shaking the pan at the halfway mark to redistribute the beans. They will start to blister and slightly char.
Stir in the ginger, mint or shiso, cranberries and salt and cook for an additional three minutes, shaking the pan again at the halfway mark.
I like my beans al dente so seven minutes worked for me. You may want to cook the beans a bit longer or add a couple of teaspoons of water to the pan and cover it, thus steaming the beans into textural submission after a few additional minutes.
