I stand corrected. Just last week I pointed out to a restaurant server that their “baby” green beans were, in fact, haricots verts or French green beans. I had imagined they would be baby Baguio beans, which is how we call the more common green beans. Now I’m glad that the waitress did not know any better.
French green beans are harvested when they are young and tender, so it is apt to refer to them as babies. At that point, French beans are already full-flavored, unlike Baguio beans, which need to reach their full size — if not full maturity — to come into their bean-y flavor. Or so I gleaned from this thread, in which it is also repeatedly mentioned that when French beans grow to the size of Baguio beans, they turn tough.
Baguio beans were not on my shopping list last weekend, but this one lady had the freshest, most robust, vibrantly green pods that I simply could not ignore; I knew I would hate myself if I passed up on them. The vendor was down to her last bundle and she gave me half for ₱12 — a steal, really (and, no, I never haggle).
Once removed of their strings, they were steamed for two minutes, then promptly immersed in ice-cold water to keep from cooking any more, and patted dry. Crunchy and sweet, they could have made for a perfect snack at that point, except that was also when I remembered I still had some old bacon in the freezer. So I tossed the beans with a bit of olive oil and kosher salt, then wrapped each piece in bacon. I used the Savormatic for grilling.
The holidays are barreling down upon us, and thus far Ma has committed to host three parties at our home. I’m sure that this appetizer will figure in at least one of them. Or should I say hors d’oeuvre? Call it whatever you like; I would rather concentrate on improving my wrapping technique.
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