Friday, February 18, 2011

French Fridays with Dorie: Pancetta Green Beans

pancetta green beans

This week's recipe for French Fridays with Dorie, Pancetta Green Beans, was so quick and easy that I really had no choice but to make it.  Some green beans, a slip of butter, and a small amount of pancetta are all you need for a delicious side dish.

green beans

Because this recipe is so straightforward, there is really not much to say about the dish.  The green beans, which I had let go a bit too long in the fridge, were rejuvenated by a quick boil and a saute in a touch of rendered pork fat.   The pancetta provided a bit of poshness along with the perfect salty accent.  If my sub-par winter beans were this tasty, I can't wait to try this recipe with fresh beans from the market this summer.  I would definitely multiply the recipe so that I could serve the leftovers, as per Dorie's sidebar suggestion, cold with a splash of vinegar.

ready to shred

Since I actually had the day off today (and because I haven't been posting on many of these French Fridays), I decided to make another recipe that I missed, January's Chicken B'stilla.  I had planned on making this on schedule, but I forgot to buy filo dough and I ended up stashing my chicken thighs in the freezer.  I am so glad that I decided to make this because it was very different, and very delicious.

chicken b'stilla

The Chicken B'stilla, which is a kind of Moroccan potpie, starts with chicken thighs poached in broth with ginger, saffron, coriander, and cinnamon.  The chicken was tender, fragrant, and perfectly spiced, and I would be happy to serve it on its own, or with the honey infused sauce that is combined with the shredded chicken to fill the pie.  Toasted almonds provided richness and crunch, and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar over the filo crust was a sweet surprise that played perfectly against the chicken.  This was the first time that I have worked with filo, and while my torn sheets were not too pretty, I am inspired to use it again soon.

Chicken b'stilla and pancetta green beans

For these delicious recipes, and so many more, grab a copy of Around My French Table. Also, head over to the FFwD site to see how everyone liked these simple and elegant green beans.


6 comments:

  1. We really liked the Chicken B'stilla, your photos just brought back to me how much we enjoyed it!
    Thanks!

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  2. It's great that you were able to go back and do the b'stilla. While it was a bit fussy, the results were rather good. And the beans were pretty great too!

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  3. Your photos look great and this turned out to be a nice combo together. I agree about how wonderfully easy the recipe is. It is nice to try the more complicated ones too but we were up for a simple week in this household (Nana's too) and it was lovely to get such great results for such little effort.

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  4. Gorgeous! Love the two dishes together, both look fantastic! :)

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  5. That sounds like a great combination. Looking at your b'stilla makes me want to make it all over again!

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