Blanching comes first. Three minutes in boiling salted water sets the beans bright green and takes the raw snap out of them, so the oven time can be judged by the bacon instead.
Eight bundles are wrapped with one bacon slice each, brushed with a glaze of melted butter, brown sugar, Dijon and cider vinegar, and baked until the bacon browns.
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh green beans
- A pound, trimmed, blanched and divided into eight equal bundles.
- Thin-cut bacon
- Eight slices, one per bundle, thin enough to crisp in the oven.
- Brown sugar and Dijon
- Two tablespoons of sugar with a tablespoon of mustard for a sweet-sharp glaze.
How to Make It
Beans blanched and cooled
Heat the oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, blanch the green beans 3 minutes, then drain and cool quickly.
Bundles wrapped
Divide the beans into 8 even bundles and wrap each around the centre with one slice of bacon. Place seam-side down in a baking dish.
Glaze whisked
Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, Dijon, cider vinegar and black pepper.
Brushed and baked
Brush the glaze over the bundles and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the bacon is fully cooked and browned.
Finished with pan glaze
Spoon a little of the pan glaze over the bundles and finish with parsley.
Building One Bundle
A pound of beans divides into eight, and each is wrapped the same way.
What goes into one bundle
Blanched beans
One-eighth of the beans, gathered into a neat bundle.
Bacon band
One thin slice wrapped around the centre.
Seam down
Placed seam-side down in the dish so it stays closed.
Glaze
Butter, brown sugar, Dijon, cider vinegar and pepper brushed over.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes, then spoon over pan glaze and add parsley.
Why This Recipe Works
- Blanching and cooling quickly keeps the beans green through 30 minutes in the oven.
- One slice of thin-cut bacon wraps a bundle without overlapping into a thick band that stays flabby.
- Dijon and cider vinegar keep the brown sugar glaze from tasting flatly sweet.
- Seam-side down holds each bundle closed without a toothpick.
Success Tips
- Cool the blanched beans quickly in cold water so they stop cooking and stay bright.
- Wrap the bacon around the middle of each bundle, not spiralled along it, so the beans stay visible.
- Baste once with the pan glaze near the end; it thickens as the sugar reduces.
Serving Ideas
Lift the bundles onto a white platter with a little glaze spooned over and parsley scattered across.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Refrigerate leftovers promptly and reheat in the oven so the bacon firms up again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why blanch the beans first?
Three minutes sets their colour and softens them, so the bake time can be judged by the bacon.
Do the bundles need toothpicks?
No. Placing them seam-side down in the dish holds them closed.
