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Green Beans with Coriander and Garlic

(Feijão Verde com Coentro e Alho) Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Jean Anderson's book The Food of Portugal. Anderson also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. To read more about Anderson and Portuguese cuisine, click here. There's a reason for adding the lemon juice and vinegar to the green beans after they've marinated. If you mix these acids in too soon, the beans will turn an unappetizing shade of brown.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

2

pounds tender young green beans, washed and tipped

3

quarts boiling water plus 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2

large garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2

/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander (the dried won't do)

5 to 6

tablespoons olive oil

1

tablespoon lemon juice

3 to 4

tablespoons cider vinegar

1

/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (about)

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cook the beans in the boiling salted water in a large covered saucepan over moderate heat 10 to 12 minutes until tender. Meanwhile, place the garlic and coriander in a large heat-proof bowl. As soon as the beans are done, drain well, return to moderate heat, and shake the pan 30 to 40 seconds to drive off all excess moisture. Dump the hot beans on top of the garlic and coriander and let stand 10 minutes. Add 5 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss well to mix; cover and marinate in the refrigerator 3 to 4 hours or, better yet, overnight.

    Step 2

    About 45 minutes before serving, bring the beans from the refrigerator and let stand, still covered, on the counter. Just before serving, add the lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of the vinegar, and the pepper. Toss well, taste, and add more vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper, if needed. Serve as an accompaniment to pork, poultry, veal, or beef.

Reprinted with permission from The Food of Portugal, © 1986, by Jean Anderson, HarperCollins Publishing, Inc.
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