Name: String beans with mustard-honey dressing by Gordon Ramsay
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 kg string beans ((frozen or fresh, cut off the ends of the pods)); 200 g almond flakes; 2 cloves garlic; 2-3 tbsp. white wine vinegar; 2 tsp. dijon mustard ((I used whole-grain mustard)); 2 tsp. liquid honey; 150 ml olive oil ((not extra-virgin, or other vegetable oil))

Bean salad is a versatile addition to any main dish, whether it is meat, poultry, fish or even other vegetables. Despite the simplicity of the recipe, the taste of the salad is very bright. Sour and sweet, with a slight spice from the acid component.

This recipe is a godsend for a large group of uninvited guests. After all, frozen string beans are available at any time of year and can be stored in the freezer for several months. It’s quick to prepare, and the recipe calls for more than a kilogram of the finished dish.

Cooking it from scratch will take you about 40 minutes, but if you make the dressing ahead of time, you can assemble the salad in just 5-7 minutes. All that’s left is to blanch the beans and toast the almond tortillas.

So I recommend making the dressing in its entirety, even if you plan to reduce the number of servings by 2-3 times. Pour the dressing into a jar with an airtight lid and put it in the fridge. When it’s time for a new batch, shake it well and dress the salad.

I took this recipe from Gordon Ramsay’s book Home Cooking, more Gordon Ramsay recipes here.

Ingredients

1 kg string beans, trim the ends of the pods (I used frozen, with the ends already trimmed)
200 g almond flakes
2 small garlic cloves
2 to 3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard (I used whole grain mustard)
2 tsp. liquid honey
150 ml. olive oil (not extra-virgin, or other vegetable oil)

Instead of white wine vinegar I used balsamic vinegar, also I cooked a smaller batch, so the number of ingredients in the photo will not correspond to the above described.

Extra:

Sheet of foil

Step by step directions

Preheat the oven to 180 °C / 360 °F, top+down mode.

Wrap 2 heads of garlic in foil and bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, take a pot of suitable size, fill it 3/5 full with water, salt at the rate of a pinch of salt per 1 liter of water and bring to a boil. For 1 kg of beans you will need a pot of at least 5 liters.

When the water comes to a boil, put the beans in it. Blanch for a minute and a half to two minutes.

Frozen beans should preferably be taken out of the freezer 40-60 minutes before cooking to let them thaw, but it is not necessary, you can also blanch the one that has just come out of the freezer.

Rinse the beans in a sieve and rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Allow the water to drain.

Rinse the beans in a sieve, rinse with running water and let them drain.

Toast 200 g of the almond petals over a medium heat in a dry pan. For 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Let cool.

Next, Gordon Ramsay suggests mixing the cooled beans and almonds, salt and pepper. I prefer to add the dried almonds after adding the sauce, so that they do not absorb moisture and do not have time to soften, and retain their crispy texture.

Prepare the dressing. There are two options to choose from: mix the ingredients in a bowl and whisk thinly with a whisk while pouring in the oil, or mix everything in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and give it a good shake. I prefer the second option, as it immediately solves the problem of storage containers and gets less dirty dishes.

Remove the flesh of the garlic from the skin and grind it with a fork or garlic grinder. Add 2 tsp mustard, 2 tsp honey, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar and 150ml vegetable oil (I used olive oil).

Squeeze the garlic into a bowl and mix the sauce

Close the jar with a lid and shake vigorously. Taste, if the acidity is not enough add another 1-2 tbsp. vinegar. I added 2 in total.

Salt and pepper the beans, dress the sauce and stir. You can do this in the pot in which the beans were boiled. This makes it easier to stir: nothing will fall out of the plate and the appearance will be neater. Add the almond petals (if you haven’t done this before) and serve.