Green Beans Almondine

From the garden

• 1½ lb green beans, stem ends trimmed
• ½ cup sliced almonds · blanched and skinless
• 1 small shallot, finely minced
• 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)

From the pantry

• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 lemon · zest and juice
• salt · plus a generous hand for the blanching water
• black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it until it tastes like soup. Plenty of well-salted water, at a hard boil, is what keeps the beans green and seasons them all the way through.
2. Boil the beans 3–5 minutes, until they bend without snapping and keep a little squeak. Drain and spread them on a towel, or drop them into ice water if you are working ahead, then dry them well.
3. Melt the butter in a wide skillet over medium heat, add the almonds, and toast 3–4 minutes, swirling, until the nuts are golden and the butter smells nutty. Both turn from brown to burnt quickly, so pull the pan the moment the color arrives.
4. Add the shallot and cook 1 minute, then add the dry beans and toss 2–3 minutes, until they are hot through and coated in the butter.
5. Finish off the heat: add the lemon zest, a squeeze of the juice, the parsley, salt, and pepper, toss once, and serve straight away next to roast chicken, ham, or fish.