Runner Beans With Bacon Recipes

RUNNER BEANS WITH BACON & HAZELNUTS

Steps:

• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the beans for 4-5 mins until cooked, but still vibrant. Drain the beans and tip straight into a bowl of ice-cold water. Drain again and set aside.
• Heat a frying pan, tip in the bacon and sizzle for 4-5 mins until it starts to crisp. Throw in the hazelnuts and cook for another few mins until the nuts start to brown. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the bacon and nuts, but leave behind any juices and residue. Place the pan back on a low heat, slosh in the vinegar and sizzle for a moment, then stir in the cream. Return the beans, bacon and hazelnuts to the pan to warm through and toss them in the dressing. Tip into a bowl and mix in the tarragon just before serving.

"BEST EVER" GREEN BEANS AND NEW POTATOES

Steps:

• 1. Half runners have the very distinct feature of a string that runs down both sides of the bean...i find it easiest to snap off one end of the bean and pull the string down then snap the other end and remove the string on the other side....This will help you remove most of the strings but you will never get them all so don't get frustrated...small price to pay for the end result! So, step one is to snap off the ends and remove the string and break the beans into halves, or thirds...then put them in your kitchen sink and run water over them to wash them off
• 2. Dice up your onion and remove the skin off of a 1-2 lb chunk of jowl bacon...salt pork can also be used but I prefer the jowl bacon...slice the jowl in about 1/4 in. slices...put your bacon grease or lard in a large stock pot on med. hi heat, add your jowl bacon and let it get kinda brown on the edges and fry up a little bit...add diced onion at this point as well...Saute onion for about 5 min.
• 3. Put all of your beans into the stock pot, add water just up to the top of the beans (do not cover completely), add salt & pepper (I use about an 1/8 of a cup each of the salt and pepper for optimum flavor but you can adjust according to your dietary allowances and taste. Cover and bring to a hard boil then turn heat down and just cook with a steady light boil on about medium for approximately an hour.
• 4. While the beans are cooking boil your potatoes. Tiny potatoes are rare at the grocery store though the earliest new potatoes at the farmers market can be just this small. I would pick out the smallest red-skinned potatoes available, of similar size so they cook evenly. Cook them whole,(you can peel them if you want, but it can be tedious with potatoes of a very small size) then cut into halves or quarters when tossing with the butter. In a large sauce pan boil till fork tender....drain and add the stick of butter to the potatoes...when melted and your beans are done dump the potatoes (with butter) over into the bean pot and stir...Adjust seasonings and Enjoy!!

OLD-FASHIONED BAKED BEANS WITH SMOKED BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• In a medium bowl, combine the tomato paste, sorghum, dry mustard, vinegar, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Slowly stir in the beer. Add the beans plus enough of their reserved cooking liquid to create a slightly soupy texture. Combine, and taste for salt, adding a bit more if necessary. Reserve the remaining bean cooking liquid. Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking dish and top with the bacon. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the bacon is golden brown and the beans are very hot, checking several times and adding a little more liquid or water if necessary so that the beans don't dry out; they should remain a bit saucy.

BISTRO RUNNER BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk together the dressing ingredients, then set aside. Cook the runner beans in a pan of boiling water for 4 mins until tender. Drain and tip into iced water. Fry the bacon in a dry pan until crisp, add the beans to the bacon, then remove from the heat. Bring another pan of water to the boil, add the vinegar, then poach the eggs for about 3 mins. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, then drain on kitchen paper.
• Dress and toss the beans and bacon with the lettuce and tomatoes. Pile the salad onto 4 plates, top with poached eggs and serve.