Green Bean Almondine

Prepare Green Beans:

1. If using fresh beans, trim the stems of the beans with a chef’s knife. (Frozen beans will already be trimmed.)Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Boil beans for 2-3 minutes. Fresh beans are done blanching when they are bright green. Frozen beans have already been blanched, so you're really just quick thawing them. Do not cook longer than 3 minutes, because you're cooking the beans again, and they'll become over-cooked.Strain the beans out of the water and immediately plunge into icy water (or rinse with cold water in a colander) until the beans are cold. Drain the beans and pat dry with a towel.The beans can be prepared up to one day before making the almondine. Store the beans in the fridge until you're ready to make the almondine.

Make the Green Bean Almondine:

1. In a large shallow pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat.When the butter is melted (but not browned) add the almonds and cook until the nuts are golden (2-3 minutes). Scoop the almonds out of the butter and set aside.Tip: The butter will foam as you cook, which could make it harder to see the almonds. Keep a close eye on the almonds as you cook to ensure that they don't burn.
2. Add the oil to the pan and increase the heat to medium-high.Add the beans and salt to the pan, and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until the beans have soaked up some of the butter and begun to sear.If you used fresh beans, your beans will develop char marks in the pan. Frozen beans probably won't char well, but will still be delicious.
3. Add the lemon zest to the beans and toss. Squeeze juice from half the lemon into the beans. Reserve the other half of the lemon for another use.Top with the toasted almonds and serve immediately.