Bourbon & Bacon Green Beans

Green beans are a crowd pleasing dish - especially with the addition of bourbon and bacon! Use a blanching method to cook the beans; this helps to preserve their bright green color and makes for a visually pleasing presentation. Follow our steps below for recipe success. Serves 6-8.

Ingredients:
4 strips thick-cut bacon, cooked until crispy then diced
1/2 small sweet onion
2 cloves garlic
1-1/2 lbs green beans or haricots verts, cleaned and trimmed
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoon vegetable broth
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons bourbon

Directions:
1. In a large sauté pan, fry the bacon until crispy, then remove the bacon and let it cool on a paper towel-lined plate. After the bacon has cooled, cut into small pieces. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease in the pan.
2. Meanwhile, blanch the green beans. Boil the green beans in a large pot of salted boiling water until just cooked, about 2-3 minutes, then stop the beans from cooking by plunging them into a bowl of ice water. After the beans have cooled, drain. (Blanch timing may vary based on the size/thickness of the green beans.
3. Prepare the glaze. In the large sauté pan, sauté the onion in the 3 tablespoons of reserved bacon grease. Add the garlic, and sauté for another minute. Add the crushed red pepper, lemon juice, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and bourbon. Simmer until bubbling and the bourbon has reduced by a third (by volume); this step concentrates the flavors.
4. Toss the blanched green beans in the glaze, and sauté until warm and cooked to your desired level of doneness. Garnish with the crispy bacon. Serve immediately.