This is a Nigella Lawson recipe that she recommends for Thanksgiving but we like it with roast chicken (and lots of other things) in the summer months. It’s easy to scale down for smaller numbers. We like our beans well-done – no squeaky, al-dente beans for us please.
Green Beans with Lemon – serves 8 to 10
- 1kg fine green beans, topped and tailed (there’s always a debate in our house over whether or not to leave the curly tails on)
- 75g unsalted butter
- 1 lemon (to prepare cut a slice of each end, then cut downwards to remove the skin and pith, then slice)
Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add plenty of salt to the boiling water, then add the beans and cook until tender (start checking after about 6 minutes).
Drain the beans and put the pot back over the heat with the butter and a few drops of olive oil. Add the lemon slices, and any juice on the board, to the butter. Stir well and add the beans.
Turn the beans over in the lemony butter. Add some sea salt and lots of freshly ground white pepper (black pepper will do fine if that’s what you have).
(Original recipe from Feast by Nigella Lawson, Chatto & Windus, 2004.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 
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