Browned Butter Green Beans with Pistachios
Browning butter is an intermediate cooking skill that everyone should know. The nutty flavor of the golden butter after it is browned complements the flavor of the pistachios and pairs well with the green beans. Serve these green beans along side beef, chicken or fish.
Equipment
- 1 knife
- Measuring spoons
- 1 light colored skillet
- 1 Large spoon
- tongs
Ingredients
- 3 shallots, minced
- 4 Tbsp. butter, room temperature and cut in pieces
- 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1=2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
- 3/4 cup pistachios, roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a skillet, heat the butter until melted on medium heat. It is important that the butter is at room temperature when browning butter so that it cooks evenly.
- Move the butter around in the pan as it melts. Another tip is to use a light-colored pan because it is easier to see when the butter is browned.
- Cook the butter for about 5-7 minutes, continuously stirring, The butter will start to form bubbles and foam will appear. The milk solids will separate and settle on the bottom and will turn brown. When the melted butter is a gold color, it is ready.
- Add the shallots to the browned butter and saute for about 3 minutes until the shallots are soft.
- Add the extra virgin olive oil to the pan, then add the trimmed green beans, thyme, salt and pepper. Toss the bean in the butter and shallots.
- Finally, add the pistachios to the pan. The nuts do not need to cook very long before this side dish is ready because they will soften in the butter. Basically, you are heating them, so they will retain their crunch.
- Garnish with some additional fresh thyme before serving.