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Slow Good Green Beans

  • Author: Dana Gerard
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 30 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 45 mins
  • Yield: 4+ servings 1x
  • Category: Side
  • Cuisine: Greek
Slow Good Green Beans

Recipe adapted from Bean by Bean, A Cookbook By Crescent Dragonwagon. Assemble in minutes and then cook slowly for intensely flavorful green beans speckled with tomato and roasted garlic jam.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. fresh green beans, ends removed
  • Vegetable oil cooking spray
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped roasted garlic (56 cloves)
  • 1 large or two small fresh tomatoes, chopped
  • Kosher salt
  • Coarse ground black pepper
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

Blanche the beans:

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add green beans and cook for two minutes. While green beans cook, fill another bowl with ice water.
  2. Remove green beans from the heat and drain in a mesh strainer or colander.
  3. Plunge beans into the ice bath for a minute to cool them completely, then drain.

Set a large pot or heavy-duty skillet with a tight fitting lid on the stove.

  1. Spray the inside of the pot with cooking spray. Pour in olive oil and garlic.
  2. Add green beans and then the tomatoes on top. Don’t stir the mixture.
  3. Turn the burner to the lowest heat possible. Cover the beans and let cook without stirring for an hour. It’s going to be difficult not to stir, but don’t stir!
  4. Check beans after an hour. If they are not very soft, let them cook another 15- 20 minutes. They should look tender and slightly browned, with sweet bits of tomato garlicky goodness sticking to them.
  5. When beans are very soft, remove lid and stir gently.
  6. If there’s a lot of liquid at the bottom of the pot, turn up the heat to medium high and stir gently without pausing until most of the excess liquid evaporates.

Turn off the heat.

  1. Add salt and pepper to taste and a pinch or two of cayenne. Stir, taste again and serve.
  2. Good hot or cold!