Blistered Green Beans with Saucisson Basque & Almonds
Blistered green beans tossed with crisped saucisson basque, toasted almonds, garlic, and a pinch of Espelette — a fast, smoky-sweet Basque-style side with real char.
Our Saucisson Basque is seasoned with Espelette pepper and saffron, so leaning into its Basque roots just makes sense. Here it crisps in the pan and flavors the oil the green beans cook in.
Blistered green beans bring smoky char, toasted almonds add crunch, and a little more Espelette and a squeeze of lemon keep everything bright. It's fast, it's mostly hands-off, and it makes plain green beans feel like a destination.
A great side for roast chicken, fish, or a steak — or pile it next to eggs for brunch.
Ingredients
For the Green Beans
1 lb green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 oz Saucisson Basque salami, diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/3 cup almonds, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon Espelette pepper (or sweet paprika with a pinch of cayenne)
1/2 lemon
salt
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Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add the saucisson basque and cook 2 minutes until crisp; remove and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
Add the green beans in a single layer. Cook, tossing only occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes until blistered and charred in spots but still crisp-tender.
Add the garlic, almonds, and Espelette and cook 1 minute, until fragrant and the almonds are lightly toasted.
Return the saucisson to the pan and toss to combine. Season with salt.
Transfer to a platter, squeeze over the lemon, and serve warm.
Chef Notes
Get the pan ripping hot and don't move the beans much — you want blistered, charred spots, not a steam-bath. A cast-iron pan does this best.
Crisp the saucisson first so its fat flavors the pan, then cook the beans in it. Add the garlic and almonds at the end so they toast without burning.
Substitutions & Tips
Dry Chorizo or Calabrese both work in place of the saucisson basque. Use blanched asparagus, broccolini, or romano beans instead of green beans, and pine nuts or hazelnuts instead of almonds.
Love Saucisson Basque? Try our Basque Piperade with Baked Eggs, or another crispy-salami veg side in our Roasted Cauliflower with Dry Chorizo.
Serving & Storage
Best served warm, right after the lemon goes on.
Leftovers keep for up to 3 days in the fridge and are good cold in a salad or rewarmed in a hot pan. Add fresh lemon before serving again to wake them back up.
Published
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