green beans with mustard cream sauce and toasted almonds

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen pearl onions or small whole white onions
• 2 pounds green beans, trimmed and snapped into 2-inch pieces
• salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons flour
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted until fragrant in a 325-degree oven (10 minutes or less)

Recipe

• heat 2 tbs. of butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. add onions; saute, shaking pan occasionally, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
• dump onions a large cookie sheet. add green beans, 3/4 cup water and a scant teaspoon salt to the unwashed skillet. turn heat to high; cover and cook until wisps of steam escape around the lid. set timer for 5 minutes; cook until bright green but tender.
• drain beans; transfer to cookie sheet with onions and spread out to cool. (cooled vegetables can be covered loosely with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature up to 4 hours ahead.)
• microwave milk, chicken broth and mustard in a 1-quart pyrex-type measuring cup until steamy. heat remaining 2 tbs. of butter in the skillet. whisk in flour, then hot milk mixture, until smooth and simmering. (sauce can be made up to 4 hours ahead: cover surface directly with plastic wrap, to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate; return to a simmer before proceeding.)
• add beans and onions; simmer until sauce is thick enough to cling, about 5 minutes. season with salt and pepper to taste. transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with toasted almonds and serve immediately.