Charred Green Bean and Almond Salad with Smoky Baba Ghanoush

This dish is inspired by Chinese-style wok-fried green beans, blanched until tender to leave just a little crunch, then panfried over high heat so their exteriors are slightly charred and smoky. Drizzled with a fragrant almond oil, tossed with crunchy toasted almonds, parsley, and chives, and served on a layer of smoky baba ghanoush, this dish is a meal all in itself. In place of the baba ghanoush you can easily use classic or herbed hummus or simply cooked chickpeas pureed with a little stock or water and seasoned with sea salt and toasted cumin seeds. This also makes for a wonderful side dish to my Four-Hour Aromatic Braised Pork, Poached Chicken Breast Salad with Lemon and Mint, or Roasted Beef Rib-Eye Steak.

2 MAIN-COURSE SERVINGS OR 4 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS

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       EQUIPMENT: A 5-quart (5 l) pasta pot, fitted with a colander; a large, heavy-duty skillet.

        3 tablespoons coarse sea salt

        8 ounces (250 g) haricots verts, rinsed and trimmed at both ends

        1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

        2 tablespoons sliced almonds

        1 tablespoon best-quality almond oil

        1/4 cup tightly packed fresh parsley leaves

        1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

        Fine sea salt

        1 cup (about 8 ounces/250 g) Baba Ghanoush

        Grated zest of 1 organic orange

1.     Prepare a large bowl of ice water.

2.     Fill the pasta pot with 3 quarts (3 l) water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the coarse sea salt and the haricots verts and blanch, uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes, counting from when the water comes back to a boil. (Cooking time will vary according to the size and age of the beans.) Immediately remove the colander from the water, let the water drain from the beans, and plunge the colander with the beans into the ice water so they cool down as quickly as possible. (The beans will cool in 1 to 2 minutes. If you leave them in the ice water any longer, they will become soggy and begin to lose flavor.) Drain the beans and wrap them in a thick kitchen towel to dry. (The beans can be cooked up to 4 hours in advance. Keep them wrapped in the towel and refrigerate, if desired.)

3.     In the skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat until shimmering. Add the green beans and panfry, moving the beans around with a wooden spoon, until blistered and beginning to char and blacken, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

4.     In a small skillet, toast the sliced almonds over medium heat, shaking the pan regularly, until the nuts are fragrant and evenly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Watch carefully! They can burn quickly. Transfer the nuts to a large plate to cool. (If not using immediately, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.)

5.     At serving time, toss the beans with the almond oil, parsley, and chives. Season with fine sea salt. On a serving platter, spread the baba ghanoush in a generous layer. Top with the beans and herbs. Scatter with the sliced almonds and the orange zest. Serve at room temperature.