Crispy Bacon & Lemon Zest Green Beans
Ingredients
1 lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed and sliced lengthwise
4 slices of bacon, diced
2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Ice water, for blanching
Directions
Start by salting the diced bacon and cook it over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and place on a paper towel to drain excess grease. Reserve 1-2 tablespoons of the bacon grease in the pan.
While the bacon is cooking, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the green beans for about 20 seconds, then transfer them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
Drain the beans from the ice bath, then slice each bean lengthwise.
Heat the reserved bacon grease over medium-high heat. Add the green beans and cook for about 2 minutes until they begin to crisp slightly. Add the very thinly sliced garlic, stirring continuously to soften the garlic without burning it.
Season the green beans with salt and pepper, then stir in the crispy bacon. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with lemon zest.
