Michelle Palmer’s recipe is of grandma’s French green beans.
Everybody loves a good green bean. I wrote about this a few years ago and have had comments about how good my French Grandma’s Green Beans were. For those who did not get it 6 years ago…
Green beans, otherwise known as snap or string beans, are the most popular edible pod bean in the United States. The lima bean is the most common shell bean sold in the United States.
Green beans originated in Peru and spread to South and Central America by way of the migrating Indian tribes. Haricots verts, French for "green beans" (also known as French beans, French green beans, French filet beans, or fine beans (British English)) is a variety of green beans that is longer, thinner, crisper, and more tender than "standard" green beans. Which are not always available! It is different from the haricot bean, which is sold as a dried seed.
Many but not all bean pods contain a “string,” a hard, fibrous strand running the length of the pod. This is often removed before cooking, or may be made edible by cutting the pod into short segments. The first "stringless" bean was bred in 1894 by Calvin Keeney.
My French grandmother always made her Green Beans for various holidays and her Hassel back potatoes. The two childhood foods from that side of the family were my favorites. My mom was the first born in the United States. My grandparents came via Ellis Island, and became become U.S. citizens. They both fluently spoke many languages’ including English. Me speaking very little French now.
Now I carry on the tradition and make them for holidays too and think about the smell of the food cooking in the house as long as I can remember. Plus, I remember watching the spit twirl around with the leg of lamb cooking with the drip try underneath to catch the drippings to make the gravy. I can almost smell it now coming from the barbeque building in Temple City, Calif.
This recipe I’m going to share today comes from my French Grandma Jeanne Alice Louise Pinon, from Lyon, France, my mom’s mom. I have been making these green beans for at least 48 years. They’re a side dish that goes with most anything. Try them, I bet they will become one of the most asked for dishes from you family and friends. Everybody loves a good French green bean!
Grandma’s French Green Bean
1 pound fresh crisp, trimmed Haricots verts
1 sweet onion medium julienne
3-4 cloves garlic thin sliced
1/2 pound peppered bacon, ½-inch slices
1/4 pound sweet butter
1/2 Cup fresh spring water
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
Layer in a 10-inch sauteuse pan. First sprinkle onion, bacon, garlic, then a layer of green beans, lightly black pepper and kosher salt. Then onion, bacon, garlic, then a layer of green beans, lightly black pepper and kosher salt. Finishing with onion, bacon, garlic, black pepper, and kosher salt. Dot the butter all around the top. Pour ½-cup fresh spring water into pan. Cover, cook over medium heat till beans are al’dente.
Michelle Palmer is owner of Absolutely Michelle’s Chef-for-Hire.
