Many Ways Of Cooking Fresh Green Beans
Cooking fresh green beans isn't the most complicated thing you'll ever do, but as is the case with most vegetables, there still is a right way and a wrong way. There is also a variety of ways of cooking fresh green beans, some of which we really don't give much thought to, but probably should.
Some us still call green beans string beans, and probably always will. It used to be that the varieties of green beans we grew or bought in the store, had strings that had to be pulled away before cooking. That's usually no longer the case, the beans we grow or buy are for the most part, "string less" varieties.
Select Good Beans - The first thing you want think about in cooking fresh green beans, no matter how you plan to go about it, is carefully selecting the beans you intend to cook. If you're growing your own, you tend to do this as you pick them. They are obviously fresh, so that's not a concern, but we look for bug holes, rotting spots, or anything which detracts from the wholeness of the bean. When buying fresh green beans at the store, we sometime grab a few handfuls without looking them over closely. That can be a mistake. Select the best you can. It's worth it, as far as the taste and appearance of the prepared dish is going to be.
One can cook beans whole or sliced. They usually will taste a little better when cooked whole, though its normal practice to snap the ends off, or at the very least remove any stems. Arguably the best way to cook beans is by steaming them; though some will say stir frying them is even better as far as preserving the taste is concerned. Some cooks still insist in boiling beans in a pot of water for half an hour. That's a hard habit for some to break, but that method usually leaves much of the flavor, and most of the nutrients, behind in the water.
Whatever method you're using in cooking fresh green beans, remember that when you've removed the heat source, or removed the beans from boiling water, they'll continue to cook for a few minutes unless you momentarily immerse them in cold water. If you don't want to go through that extra trouble, just remove them from the stove or oven a little before you think they're done. A slightly undercooked green bean is much better tasting than an overcooked one.
Garlic, Wine, And Shallots - Another thing to consider is whether you wish to cook the beans by themselves, or with a flavor enhancer, In the latter case, garlic and tarragon both serve as excellent flavor enhancers. There are even those that claim certain wines go best with cooked green beans, or vice versa, even though we usually select wines based upon the type of meat or fish on the table. If you want wine with your green beans though, consider Sauvignon Blanc or a Riesling. When cooking fresh green beans one can cook them alone, with potatoes, with shallots in a casserole, with rice, bacon, or whatever you might choose to experiment with.
Roasted Or Fried - Green beans can be oven roasted. All you'll need is a cookie sheet, a little olive oil, and some freshly ground black pepper. Roasting time is about 10 minutes. Don't be worried if the beans start to shrivel a bit. Roasting will do that, and it doesn't impact the flavor one bit. Frying takes about the same time as roasting. If you'd rather fry your green beans, put a little olive oil in the skillet or pan, add butter, garlic salt, salt and pepper, and lemon juice, and away you go. Some prefer bacon fat instead of olive oil, seemingly a choice between what is most tasty, and what is most healthy.
Deep Fried Or Stir Fried - For a different treat as far as cooking fresh green beans is concerned, dip them in a batter and deep fry them until they are a golden brown. A batter normally is made from milk, four and eggs. Buttermilk is recommended in this case, and a little garlic powder added to the flour will according to some, greatly improve the taste.
If you want to stir fry fresh green beans, good companion foods are garlic, chilies, and bits or chunks of pork. A sprinkling of paprika won't hurt any. Again, allow about 10 minutes for cooking time.