Thursday, June 30, 2011

Currying Favor, Full of Beans

So it's a lovely, warm summer Friday and you're heading out of the office.  If you're a cute girl who might blog in these environs AND haunt a spice emporium, your thoughts will turn, quite naturally, to something golden delicious and veggie.


So say you might zip by someplace like Penzey's Spices in Menlo Park and grab some Hot Curry Powder. Yes, Hot Curry Powder.  You use a literal pinch, and it is not hot in the end, it is ever so slightly, and delightfully, sparkly.  Yes, sparkly.  Then break left or right out the back door and over to Trader Joe's or Draegers,  just across the parking lot.  There you might procure some green beans and a blood orange, being sure you also have butter, olive oil and kosher salt already in your possession.  When you return home, within 20 minutes of washing your beans you will have:


IMG_3302
BLOOD ORANGE CURRY BEANS


OFFICIAL RECIPE:

1 pound Green Beans, ends snapped off, snapped into bite-size pieces
1 small Blood Orange, JUICE thereof.
1/8 tsp Hot Curry Powder (yes, Hot. See Above.)
1TB Buttah
1tsp Olive Oil
1/8 tsp Kosher Salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Snap the ends off the beans, then snap in half and pop into a colander.
2.  Wash them suckers.
3.  Heat a pan on Med-High, only a few minutes, test by sprinkling water into the pan, if it sizzles, you're ready.
4.  Throw in the Buttah and Oil, allow to melt--the butter will foam slightly, make sure the fat coats the pan evenly.
5.  Toss in the beans and toss or stir to coat evenly and thoroughly with the butter.
6.  Allow beans to sit for a couple of minutes then stir well, repeat twice.
7.  Place lid on pan and turn heat to Med-Low.
8.  Wait 3 minutes as beans steam.
9.  Test a bean by spearing with a fork, it should be tender but still snap a bit.  If it's still really crunchy, replace the lid for another 3 minutes. 
 **Be conscious of the color:  The key to tasty cooked beans is they still taste like beans.  They should brighten and darken a bit during cooking but still be a fresh green, and tenderize but still be slightly resistant to a fork.
10.  When ready, turn heat up to High and wait for sizzle to rise.
11.  Sprinkle Hot Curry Powder evenly over beans, then pour juice over beans and stir quickly.
12.  This should all cook down in a minute or less, so as soon as it looks saucy, turn it out into a bowl and eat!

Try it this weekend and fer heavens sake, LET ME KNOW HOW YOU LIKE IT!

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