Green Beans and Runner Beans

Green beans, known as haricots verts in the catering industry, must be the most popular vegetable in restaurants; what we consider a first-class vegetable. They need minimum preparation – just top and tail them – and cook quickly. You can even buy them ready trimmed in most supermarkets!

Another advantage is that you can cook them hours in advance, refresh them in iced water, then re-heat them later when you are ready to eat.

The secret to keeping good colour on any green vegetable is to make sure the water is salted and boiling rapidly before you add the vegetables, don’t use a lid, and don’t cook too many at once. For home cooking, it’s best to cook only 450 g (1 lb) at a time. This is plenty for four to six portions.