Green Beans With Anchovy Cream Sauce & Bacon Breadcrumbs

I love this side dish of warm green beans in an anchovy cream sauce topped with crispy bacon panko breadcrumbs; it's full of umami and texture.

Ingredient notes

Use fresh green beans rather than frozen for the best results. Trim the ends and try to keep them all an even length, but this is purely for aesthetic reasons! The anchovy cream sauce contains raw egg yolks, so make sure you buy pasteurized eggs in the USA, or eggs that are from chickens that have been vaccinated against salmonella. If you are desperate to make this dish but don't want to/can't use raw egg yolks, use a tablespoon of mayonnaise instead.

I like panko breadcrumbs for their crunchy texture, but you can also use regular breadcrumbs or even blend a bag of croutons.

Toast the panko and cook the bacon

Fry the bacon in a pan until it's crispy, then move it to a paper towel-lined plate. Toss the panko breadcrumbs in the bacon fat and cook them for a few minutes until browned, but don't let them burn.

Let everything cool down, then pulse briefly in a food processor until you have a fine crumb.

Make the anchovy cream sauce

Ideally, you use an immersion blender (stick blender) for this part, as it really is the easiest way to do it. You can also use a food processor or a NutriBullet.

Put the egg yolks, Dijon mustard, oil, garlic cloves, lemon juice, and anchovies into a tall, narrow bowl or a tall measuring jug. It helps to have height/depth. You can roughly chop the anchovies up first, but I rarely bother! Blend until smooth. Add the finely grated parmesan and blend again.

Taste the dressing and add Worcestershire sauce and cracked black pepper as needed to bring it up to your preferred saltiness/tanginess level. If you do not have Worcestershire sauce, you can also use Asian fish sauce or Colatura di AIici. If you need to thin it out, add a splash of room-temperature water and a touch more lemon juice.

Don't overcook green beans

Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Carefully add the trimmed green beans and boil them for 5-7 minutes, depending on how firm you like them. Any longer than this and they will be floppy. Drain and set aside.

Assemble the dish

Toss the hot green beans quickly in the anchovy cream sauce to warm it up and plate them on a serving dish. Garnish with the crispy bacon breadcrumbs and serve.

Wine Pairing

You will need something that can cut through the saltiness and strong flavors of this dish. Try an Albariño, Verdicchio, or Chablis.

What if I have leftovers?

The anchovy cream sauce contains raw egg yolks, so it must be eaten fresh and not left out. You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to one day. I do not recommend freezing any part of this dish.

Equipment

All you need is a blender! Some people will try to convince you that you must make an anchovy Caesar sauce by whisking it for hours by hand. And that isn't try. I make this dish for my private chef clients all the time, and I just throw it all in the blender at once. It's always fine.