4.17.10 Wicked bacon braised GREEN BEANS!!!!!! & herby, lemon chicken

I could have just had a plate of the green beans and been extremely happy

Inspired by an Anne Burrell cooking show...which was actually for trout and green beans...we decided to do the green beans exactly and chicken instead, but with the same herby bread crumbs and lemon sauce.

Wicked Bacon Braised Green Beans, based on a recipe by Anne Burrell
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 pound bacon, cut into small pieces, and 1/4 lb of diced pancetta (or use just bacon or just pancetta)
2 garlic cloves, smashed
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 pound baby bella mushrooms, sliced
Kosher salt
1 pound string beans, stems removed (got em at Costco, already stemmed)
1 cup chicken stock
Coat a large straight sided skillet lightly with olive oil. Add the bacon, and bring to a medium heat. Cook until the bacon has gotten brown and crispy and has let off most of the fat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes When the garlic becomes golden brown and very aromatic, remove and discard. As Anne say's "They have fulfilled their garlic destiny."
Add the mushrooms to the bacon pan, season with salt, to taste, and cook until they become soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beans and the chicken stock, season with salt, to taste, cover and cook over medium-low heat for 40 to 45 minutes. If the liquid reduces too much during the cooking time, add water to make up the difference. Remove the lid and cook until almost all of the liquid is reduced. When done the beans should be very tender, almost falling apart and VERY flavorful. Remember when tasting for salt to taste all the components together....the bacon in the bite adds considerable saltiness....I unfortunately oversalted before I realized this...but these were still so delicious they were hard to stop eating, especially the chunks of pancetta.
"What a bean!" -Anne Burrell
A chef friend of mine commented that it sounded like we were eating a healthy dinner... a nice lemon chix & green beans...that was before he knew it had a 1/2lb of bacon in it...wonder what he'll say now!...oops :)

the bacon, pancetta and 'shrooms getting ready for their "bean bath"

bacon & garlic

'shrooms

the beans just before they are about to be braised

there are magical braising beans in this pot..."Jack" has nothing on these beans!

chix fresh from the hot pan...so pretty

The Chicken
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (we used basil and rosemary)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
3 lemons, juiced and 1 lemon, zested and reserved
Kosher salt
1/2 cup Dijon mustard ...just realized we forgot the mustard
4 thin chix breasts...pounded out thin
Extra-virgin olive oil
about 1/2 to 3/4 stick butter
In a wide flat dish, combine the bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, zest of 1 lemon and salt, to taste.
In a small bowl, mix together the mustard and the juice of 1 lemon. Brush both sides of the chix with mustard mixture. Coat the chix on both sides with the seasoned bread crumbs and press firmly to adhere the crumbs to the fish.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Coat a large skillet with about 1/4 to 1/2-inch of olive oil and bring to a medium-high heat. Add the chix to the pan, 2-3 minutes. Carefully turn the chix over and cook the other side until the its brown and crispy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the chix from the pan and drain on paper towels. You will probably need to work in batches. After the first batch is done and dried on paper towels reserve it on a rack in a warm oven.
When all the chix has been fried, remove the oil and any brown bits from the pan. Add the butter and remaining lemon juice and swirl to combine as the butter melts. Season with salt, to taste, and reduce by about half. Transfer the fish to a serving platter, drizzle with the butter lemon sauce and serve.
YUM...but the star is still the beans.

freshly chopped rosemary...

the herby, lemony bread crumbs

freshly breaded chix breasts

garlic bread that was way outshined by the greenbeans