Serves 6
This vibrant green bean dish is the perfect unexpected addition to your Thanksgiving spread. The crunchy green beans and crispy shallots are familiar, while the aromatic curry vinaigrette and sweet medjool date coins make it complex and interesting. While we call for serving this dish warm, it’s just as tasty at room temperature (making it an easy choice for a buffet).
Ingredients:
Vinaigrette:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon minced shallot
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1½ teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 2 Tablespoons walnut, grapeseed or canola oil
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Kosher salt and pepper
Crispy Shallots:
- ¼ cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola oil
- 2 large shallots, very thinly sliced on a mandoline
- Kosher salt
Salad:
- 1½ pounds haricots verts (French green beans), trimmed
- 3 Rancho Meladuco Medjool Dates, pitted and sliced into coins (see Note))
- Fresh chervil or tarragon leaves, for garnish
- Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, for sprinkling
Make the vinaigrette In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the shallot and garlic and cook over low heat for 1 minute. Add the curry powder and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Scrape the contents of the skillet into a small bowl. Whisk in the walnut oil, vinegar and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Wipe out the skillet.
Make the crispy shallots In the medium skillet, add the oil (do not heat the skillet). Scatter the sliced shallots over the room temperature oil. Turn the heat to high and cook, without stirring, until the shallots begin to bubble (that is the water evaporating), about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook undisturbed until the bubbles slow and the shallots are golden brown and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the crispy shallots to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Season with salt.
Prepare the salad In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the haricots verts, uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a serving platter. Spoon the vinaigrette over the haricots verts. Scatter the date coins and crispy shallots on top and garnish with fresh chervil. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve right away.
NOTE To cut your dates into coins, remove the pit from the top of the date with pliers or strong tweezers. Check out the Rancho Meladuco Instagram page for a quick video tutorial on how to do this.
Recipe and photos by Julia Heffelfinger