Ordinary green beans (haricots verts) are elevated into a decadent, gourmet holiday side dish when wrapped in smoky bacon and cooked in a buttery, sweet and savory glaze. Worcestershire sauce gives an additional tang which leaves everyone at my dinner table asking for more — even the kids who don’t like plain green beans. It’s also simple to make, gluten-free and low carb!
This recipe serves 8 to 10 depending on how many other dishes you have.
Ingredients
10 slices of bacon
1 lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed
1 stick unsalted butter
½ cup packed brown sugar (vergeoise brune in France)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. If you’re using a metal pan, line it with foil.
In a heavy skillet, cook bacon over medium-low heat until partially done, but still soft enough to roll up. Drain the bacon on paper towels, then cut each slice in half lengthwise.
Boil the green beans for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse them under cold water.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the sugar, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce and keep simmering until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
Take a small bundle of beans (about 5 or 6) and wrap with half a strip of bacon. Use a toothpick to secure the bacon in place if necessary (it depends on how long your strips of bacon are). Place them side by side in the baking pan. Repeat until all beans are wrapped.
Use a pastry brush to coat each of the bundles with the butter-sugar mixture. Bake for 20 minutes until the bacon is fully cooked through and crispy.
Time-Saving Tip: If you live in France, Picard sells boxes of 6 frozen green bean bundles called fagots de haricots verts. Just arrange the number of bundles you need in a baking pan, whip up the sauce, drizzle it over the bundles, and follow the baking instructions on the box! While fresh beans are going to be a bit crisper, these frozen bundles taste just as good with the sauce, and it’s a big time saver when you have a lot of people to serve!
- ALSO READ: 9 Recipes for the Perfect, Festive, Holiday Dinner for other recipes to go with this dish!
