BRAISED ROMANO BEANS WITH SALMORIGLIO

Braised Romano Beans with Salmoriglio image

This is a recipe from my Grandma Minnie, who would serve these beans inside of her world famous carrot ring. Romano beans are a unique twist on your typical "mushy" Thanksgiving sides by offering a fresh, Southern-Italian crunch to your plate.

Provided by Paul Kahan

Time 1h30m

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

4 Roma or plum tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sliced almonds
2 pounds Romano beans
5 medium shallots
2 cloves garlic
1 sprig fresh oregano
1 cup Chicken stock or water
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons fresh oregano
2 Lemons, juiced and zested
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

Beans, part 1: Preheat oven to 400 F. Trim the ends of the tomatoes, then cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Spread them, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 45 minutes. Remove and let cool.
While the tomatoes are roasting, spread the slivered almonds in a small, ovenproof sauté pan and slide into the oven, underneath the tomatoes. Toast for 5 minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned. Meanwhile, trim and clean the Romano beans, peel and slice the shallots and garlic, and set them all aside. Heat remaining olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and brown for a few minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add oregano, beans, and stock, and stir gently to combine. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce heat to medium. Set a timer for 20 minutes.
Salmoriglio: Peel and mince the garlic. Pick the oregano leaves from the stems and chop with the garlic. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add lemon zest to the herb-garlic mixture, and continue to chop until it's uniformly minced. Put mixture in a medium mixing bowl, and stir in lemon juice. Drizzle in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Beans, part 2: After 20 minutes, check the beans for doneness. If they're "mushy" enough for you, remove them from the heat; if not, continue cooking for a few additional minutes. Once the tomatoes have cooled, remove the skins and coarsely chop. Fold the tomatoes and any leftover juices into the beans. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Assembly: Pour beans into a large mixing bowl. Add toasted almonds, and toss to combine. Dress beans with salmoriglio to taste. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary, and serve to your guests.