GREEN BEANS WITH SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Blanch the string beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for 1-1/2 minutes only. Drain the beans immediately and immerse them in a bowl of ice water. Heat the butter and oil in a very large sauté pan (12" diameter) and sauté the shallots on medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes until lightly browned. Toss them occasionally. Drain the string beans and add to the shallots with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper, tossing well. Heat only until the beans are hot. Note: The above 1 1/2 minutes of suggested cooking time is for actual French string beans. If you're using regular string beans, blanch them for about 3 minutes, until they're crisp-tender. I would also suggest drying the beans on paper towels to make sure they're as dry as possible before adding them to the shallots.