I seem to be on a little bit of a “side-dish” tangent these days. There is such an abundance of yummy veg at the farmers market. These here are just your run of the mill green beans , but I made this “bacon panko crunch” that make it both textually different and bacony. And what’s not to love about bacony, right?
Ingredients
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
6 slices bacon (about 6 oz.), finely chopped
1 cup panko
2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
Directions
Because the crunch can be used warm or room temperature, I prefer to make this before steaming the beans. The crunch can be made up to a day in advance, but do not place in the fridge (can be kept in an airtight storage container on the counter).
Cook bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring often as it begins to crisp, until browned and mostly crisp, 6–8 minutes. Remove bacon bits from the pan and set aside (no snacking!) and spoon out all but 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat into a small bowl.
Add panko to skillet and return to medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until panko is golden and crisp, about 2 minutes (don’t walk away; panko will toast slowly at first but can easily burn around edges of skillet). Add up to 1 tablespoon more fat in bowl back to pan if breadcrumbs look dry. Remove from heat, add the bacon bits removed earlier, parsley, and toss to combine. Season breadcrumb mixture with salt and pepper and transfer to a medium bowl.
Steam green beans in a medium pot with a steamer basket insert for 7 minutes. Opt for less time if you want them to remain crunchy, but I prefer a little bit of a softer bean. Remove to a serving plate and top with the panko crunch. Serve immediately.
