by Chef Afik Gal from Miznon Melbourne, Serves 4
400 grams green beans (ideally a mixture of few varieties - green beans, yellow beans, snake beans and snow peas all work well).
Grated peel from a third of a lemon
1/4 of a garlic clove
50 grams salt (for boiling water)
Generous pinch of salt (seasoning)
½ tsp lemon juice
Bring water to a boil with a ratio of 10 grams salt for every litre water.
Boil the beans for about eight minutes*, until they’re soft enough to bite but haven’t lost their colour.
Take the beans out and soak in ice water for a minute, then remove them and let them drain in a colander.
In a large bowl, add the beans, salt, olive oil, lemon peel and lemon juice, and grate in the garlic. Mix the beans until the salt has dissolved and the beans are shiny. Taste and correct seasoning.
Serve in a brown bag, with wrinkled parchment paper in it.
*Please note: Boiling time is important, and a bit tricky. It’s important to cook the beans to the right softness, but that moment of softness is exactly when the beans start to lose their colour and turn khaki.
They have to be taken out at the right timing and cooled in ice water, this sets their lively green colour.
Make sure the beans do not stay in the ice water too long; that might cause them to lose their flavour.
When cooking large quantities of beans, rub them with olive oil after draining so they don’t get dry. Spread olive oil on your hands and pat the beans gently. You only need a small amount of oil for this.
The seasoning is crucial. Too much garlic, lemon juice or olive oil will clash with the gentle taste of the dish.
