Slow-Cooked Green Beans

Serves 4 to 6.

This is more or less the original recipe, from Fine Cooking magazine. I don’t think I have ever failed to double, triple, or quadruple it, and I know I’ve never thrown any away. That’s because (1) it’s delicious, and (2) it keeps for at least a week in the fridge.

4 T olive oil
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
leaves from 8 sprigs oregano
1 3/4 pounds green beans
2 tsp. kosher salt
ground pepper
juice from 1 lemon
1/2 cup water

Place all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Stir. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Uncover and cook until all (or almost all) liquid evaporates, while turning occasionally–30 to 35 minutes. Taste to adjust salt and lemon juice.

Notes:

A tablespoon of dried oregano works well in lieu of fresh.
When doubling the recipe, it is not necessary to double the water–that’s really to help the simmer get started, after which the beans release enough liquid on their own.
Some would say you do not need this much oil. I am not one of those people.
I have used this recipe, in a speeded up version, with frozen haricots verts. Not as good as fresh, but not bad for frozen beans.