Recipe #5: 'Green Beans with Shallots, Garlic and Anchovies' (page 153)

As a child I used to follow my grandmother around her garden and amongst the produce I would gobble green and wax beans right off the vine. I suspect that I was urged to do this by my grandmother but either way I couldn't get enough. I am not attempting to expound some love for vegetables (though that is present); I am working towards a similar case, proving that things such as fresh green beans don't need much besides heat, salt and pepper.

Which brings us to today's recipe which is in short a dressing or condiment for that very vegetable. My argument that green beans need little to be a star is not valid across the board. Just because something does not need an additional push does not mean it will not benefit from one. In many ways the components of the condiment seem obvious. I think I would be nearly aghast by anyone being truly shocked that this worked, I knew it would before I ever lifted a finger, or a head of garlic between them. Anchovies and capers are nearly brothers and garlic - especially the roasted variety, in bulk - never hurt a soul. I replaced Fergus' typically conservative dose of parsley with a fair amount of tarragon. It was ideally present but far from overpowering, as that herb can sometimes manage.

But it seems the real surprise is whole roasted shallots. I wonder still if I have properly interpreted Fergus' instructions, but I care not as I have come upon a revelation. Interestingly enough I either did in fact misunderstand his intent with the garlic, or else his own method is quite shoddy. Enjoy the 10% of garlic peeling left in the video below, the other 90% which coated my fingers in an ooze worse than wallpaper paste would have been surely avoided by chopping off the bottom of the head pre-oven. But I did not as the instructions were more vague. Of course I do not follow instructions from anyone, much less a cookbook when they are clearly illogical but in this case I did. I have already come across a number of procedures and protocols foreign to me, some enlightening. This was not.

But similarly leaving shallots whole and roasting them slowly in a low oven (I continually turned down until I reached 325F which is where I would start next time) is magical. First, the texture. They become so airy, like a crushable envelope of organic, carbonized happiness. I may have gone a bit far with them but as outlined above, this was new to me. The flavor is staggering to boot: a depth of caramelization never before seen, with tiny hints of near fudge, or dirt, or black earth. The nuggets being left whole throughout my salad of green beans was a treaure chest of surprises. It brought to mind my brothers own boeuf bourguignon -- I do believe I have found a replacement for his already delicious pearl onions...

A shockwave of vinegar at the close is just what this needs to really amplify the vegetative sweetness. My own weak replacement for simple red wine vinegar (blush pomegranate balsamic) saw its final use before the remaining 50% went drain-bound, the proper product would send this flying to left field. This was a good partner to two small boneless pork chops, the remaining half of the mix left for this afternoon, consumed moments after arriving home from the workplace. A due reward.