Steamed green beans with garlic butter and lemon

• 450 g green beanstrimmed
• 30 g unsalted butter

1. 1

   Trim the ends off the green beans and cut any longer ones in half so they're roughly the same length — this helps them cook evenly.

   Tip: Snap off the stem end but leave the tapered tail. It looks better and saves time.

2. 2

   Fill the large saucepan with about 3cm (1 inch) of water and set the steamer basket inside. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, add the green beans, cover, and steam until they're bright green and crisp-tender with just a little bite when you snap one, about 4-5 minutes.

   Tip: Don't overcook — they should squeak slightly when you bite them. Start checking at 4 minutes.

3. 3

   While the beans steam, melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Once it starts to foam, add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until it's fragrant and just barely turning golden, about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Pull the skillet off the heat immediately so the garlic doesn't burn.

   Tip: Garlic goes from golden to bitter in seconds. Keep it moving and err on the side of pulling it early.

4. 4

   Transfer the steamed beans to the colander, shake off excess water, then add them straight to the garlic butter skillet. Return the skillet to medium heat and toss the beans in the butter for about 1 minute until they're evenly coated and glistening.

5. 5

   Squeeze the lemon juice over the beans, season with the flaky sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and toss once more. Taste a bean and adjust salt and lemon as needed — you want the acid to brighten everything without making it sour.

   Tip: Add the lemon off-heat or on low heat so the butter doesn't break. A little zest grated over the top adds extra pop if you have a microplane handy.

• large saucepan (4-liter (4-quart))
• steamer basket
• skillet (25cm (10-inch))
• colander
• cutting board
• chef's knife

Per serving

Nutritional values are estimates only.