Green Beans with Herb Butter

I've been so busy lately that I'm still finding recipes I made on Thanksgiving and haven't posted yet. Like these green beans. I was so rushed on Thanksgiving, that the only photo of the actual green beans I managed to snap was this one of the finished product (half pinned down by some instrusive stuffing that seems to be battling it out for plate real estate).

This is an easy way to make fresh green beans with lots of flavor in very little time (assuming you make the herb butter the day before, which I did). Love the day before.

GREEN BEANS WITH HERB BUTTER

Makes 8 servings

Herb Butter:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 teaspoons finely chopped tarragon

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for boiling water

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 lb. green beans, trimmed

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1.      Stir together all the herb butter ingredients in a large bowl until combined well.

2.      Cook beans in a large pot of boiling salted water (1 tablespoon salt for 6 quarts water), uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes, then drain.

3.      Toss with herb butter.

Cooks' notes: Herb butter can be made ahead and chilled, covered, for 3 days (or frozen, rolled into a cylinder in plastic wrap and kept in a sealed bag, for 1 week). Green beans can be trimmed 1 day ahead and chilled in a sealed bag lined with paper towels.

barely adapted from Gourmet, November 2007 by Melissa Roberts

tarragon

shallots

lemon zest

all the herb butter ingredients

herb butter mixed

herb butter shaped into a log and wrapped

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