What did we have it with? Roasted pork belly with ginger, garlic and scallions. It’s porchetta, Asian style. Seasoned like Hainanese chicken. Tender meat. Crispy pork skin. Ginger-y, garlick-y, onion-y. Do check it out.
Okay, so… about this delightful side dish. If you’re wondering why the green beans appear untrimmed (both top and bottom tips are visible, aren’t they?), that’s because haricot verts were used here. They’re so tender that they don’t need to be stringed. And that means a shorter prep time.
Is haricot vert the same as green beans?
Haricot vert is French for green beans. So, to answer the question in the title, if we’re going to be literal about it, yes, haricot vert is the same as green beans. But…
And the corn? Is it canned, frozen or fresh? Admittedly, cooking this side dish will be even quicker and easier if drained corn from a can were used. But canned corn kernels are already fully cooked so they won’t get a good chance of soaking up the flavor of the garlicky butter. So, I used fresh sweet corn.
Just two ears. When you combine that with 200 grams of green beans, the side dish is more than enough for four people.
To separate the kernels from the cob, hold the corn upright with one hand and slide a sharp knife to cut off the kernels. I do this on a large chopping board but if you want to make even less mess, use a wide shallow bowl to catch all the kernels are you cut them off the cob.
With the haricot verts rinsed and cut into two-inch lengths and the corn kernels cut off the cobs, they’re ready to be cooked. Melt butter in a pan, saute chopped onion and garlic, add the corn kernels, season with salt and pepper, drizzle in water to create steam and cook for ten minutes.
Then, add the green beans, sprinkle in more salt and pepper, toss and cook for another five minutes. And that’s all there is to it. If you need a printable recipe to help remind you how easy it is to cook this side dish, I have that for you.
Equipment
- Saute pan with lid
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 onion peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
- 1 ½ cups sweet corn kernels from two ears of corn
- salt
- pepper
- 200 grams green beans stringed if needed then cut into two-inch lengths
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a saute pan.
- Saute the onion and garlic just until softened and aromatic.
- Add the corn, sprinkle in a teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of pepper and toss.
- Drizzle in a quarter cup of water, cover the pan and let the corn cook in the steam for eight to ten minutes.
- Add the green beans, sprinkle in half a teaspoon of salt and a pinch of pepper, toss, cover and cook for another four to five minutes.
- Taste. Add more salt and pepper, if needed, before serving.
