The recipe
Peel and finely chop 2 large shallots. Warm 3 tbsp of oil in a shallow pan, add the shallots and cook for 5 or 6 minutes over a low to moderate heat. Peel and finely chop 3 cloves of garlic and add to the shallots and continue cooking.
Finely chop 350g of brown chestnut mushrooms and add them to the shallots, then leave them to cook for 10 minutes, with the occasional stir, until they are dark and fragrant. Add salt and pepper. Stir in 2 tsp of English mustard.
Finely chop 2 tbsp of dill and add to the mushrooms.
Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Trim 350g of green beans. When the water is boiling, add a little salt and the beans and let them cook for 3 or 4 minutes then drain. Toss the beans with the mushrooms and serve immediately. Enough for 2.
The trick
Get the mushroom mixture almost ready before you start to cook the beans, giving plenty of time for the shallots, garlic and mushrooms to cook. If you wish, you can cook the beans earlier, drain and plunge them into iced water, then reheat them with the mushrooms at the last minute.
The twist
I suggest green beans, but this would look beautiful with yellow beans, too. And it is a good one for runner beans, cut thinly on the diagonal. You could swap the beans for courgettes, in which case I like to cut them into thick matchsticks, then either dust them lightly with flour and fry them in olive oil or steam them in a colander over boiling water until just tender and translucent, then toss them with the sautéed shallots and mushrooms.
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