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String Beans à la Creole

Source of Recipe

From "Jubilee" by Toni Tipton-Martin


Recipe Introduction

"Green beans steeped in Southwestern flavors are an unusual but appropriate use of the term à la Creole, meaning 'of mixed heritage.' This dish is a quick adaptation of Bertha Turner's 1910 book, 'The Federation Cook Book: A Collection of Tested Recipes, Contributed by the Colored Women of the State of California.' She poached her beans in a broth laced with mild green chiles, then simmered them with tomatoes and more chiles."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ Salt
â—¦ 1 ½ pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
â—¦ 2 tablespoons bacon drippings or vegetable or olive oil
â—¦ 1 cup diced onion
â—¦ 1 teaspoon minced garlic
â—¦ 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles (such as Ro-Tel)
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
â—¦ Black pepper


Recipe

Set up a large bowl of ice and water.

In a large skillet, bring a couple cups of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the beans and cook until they turn bright green and tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Plunge the beans in the ice water to stop them from cooking further. Drain and set aside.

In the same skillet, heat the bacon fat over medium-high heat. When hot, sauté the onion and garlic until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chiles, paprika, and beans. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook 5 to 10 minutes, or to desired tenderness.

Serves 6