I don't know about you, but my favorite part of Thanksgiving is definitely the sides. All the roasted vegetables, the cranberry chutney, and my family's German potato salad (I'm finding out the recipe on Wednesday and will share it with you!). So when I had the chance to sit down with a new gorgeous cookbook put out by Phaidon Press, I Know How to Cook, I had vegetable sides on the brain. And thankfully, Phaidon is letting me share 3 recipes from the book with you! This cooking bible is basically a French cooking version of The Silver Spoon. And a favorite blogger, Clotilde, is behind updating this French classic for an American version. Besides the textbook resource of 1,400 recipes, I love how the book explains sauces and shares tips on cooking different kinds of meats and vegetables. And I also happen to adore the illustrations in the book by Blexbolex (and am desperately trying not to ruin the pretty matte pages with my messy fingers).
Today, I'm sharing the recipe for Green Beans A La Nicoise, which I made last night (see photo above — it was delicious!). Check back in tomorrow for more vegetable sides — maybe one will inspire a last minute vegetable on your Thanksgiving table.
green beans a la nicoise
by Ginette Mathiot, I Know How to Cook
2 1/4 pounds green beans
generous 2 cups tomato sauce
1 handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Prepare and cook the beans. To prepare, trim each bean. If the beans are large, split them in two lengthwise. Wash in warm water and cook immediately in boiling salted water. To keep the beans green, put them in one handful at a time, and wait for the water to come back to a boil before adding the next handful. Allow 8-12 minutes for cooking. The beans should remain slightly firm. Drain and place beans in a pan with the tomato sauce. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Add the parsley and serve.
(to make the tomato sauce)
1 pound 10 ounces tomatoes, quartered
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 carrot, diced
1 onion, diced
1 sprig of parsley, chopped
1 sprig of thyme chopped
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
Put the tomatoes in a pan, with no oil or butter, and cook for 5 minutes over moderate heat, stirring from time to time. Make a puree by pushing them through a strainer. Prepare a blond roux with 2 heaping tablespoons of the butter and flour, and stir in the strained tomato pulp. Add the stock, and the carrot, onion, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and salt and pepper. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Just before serving, stir in the remaining butter.
To make the blond roux: Melt the butter in a heavy pan over moderate heat. When it is hot, add the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon until the roux is pale brown in color and sandy in texture. Take the roux off the heat and gradually add the stock or water, stirring to avoid lumps. Return to the heat and slowly bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook gently for 2 minutes to cook out the taste of flour.
+ The sauce takes a little time to make, but it smells amazing simmering on your stove! Totally worth the time.
