Easy Dinner...Haricot Verts with Shallots, Currants, and Pine Nuts

These are not your typical southern style green beans. The traditional way of cooking green beans or any other vegetable in the south is boiling them in a pot of water for a couple hours or until they start to turn to mush. This recipe can be cooked in less than thirty minutes. I promise these will be the best green beans you have ever eaten. I used French green beans called haricot verts. They are thinner and longer than the typical American grown green beans.

Haricot Verts with Shallots, Currants, and Pine Nuts

1/2 lb of green beans
1 shallot, chopped
1 tbs dried currants
2 tbs pine nuts, toasted
2 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

In a pot of boiling salted water. Cook the green beans for about 3 minutes. Drain and put in a bowl of ice water. After the beans have cooled . Drain and pat them dry in a kitchen towel. This step can be done up to 8 hours ahead. Just place in a covered dish in the fridge until ready to finish cooking. Then in a skillet over medium heat add olive oil and butter. When butter is melted add the chopped shallot. Saute the shallot for about 1 minute then add the dried currants and the green beans. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for about 5-6 minutes until the beans are warm. Then add the balsamic vinegar and the toasted pine nuts. Toss and serve.