Stopped blanching green beans before shocking them in ice water last month

I used to always blanch then shock like they taught in culinary school. Then I worked a stage at a spot in Portland where the chef just threw raw beans straight into a smoking hot cast iron pan with butter. Came out way crisper and greener than my soggy shocked ones ever did. Now I only shock stuff like spinach or peas that really need it. Anybody else ditch the ice bath for certain veggies?

2 comments

2 Comments

cameron77011d ago

St. John in London blanches broad beans then fries them whole in pig fat with the skins on.

the_karen11d ago

Oh man, that sounds exactly like what I stumbled into last spring. I was trying to use up a massive bag of broad beans from the market and just tossed them in a hot pan with bacon grease after a quick blanch. The skins got all crispy and the insides stayed soft, it was honestly better than any fancy recipe I've tried. I still do it with butter instead sometimes, but pork fat is where it's at for that savory crunch. Definitely not for the faint of heart if you're watching calories though.