Someone asked me how to get more flavour into runner beans, so here are a few of my favourites.
Blanch and chill. A trick from my supper club days: blanch beans for 3–4 minutes, then plunge them into iced water. They keep their glorious green colour, and you can reheat them later in butter, olive oil or lemon juice.
Garlicky water. Drop a halved garlic clove into the salted boiling water and let it infuse for about five minutes before the beans go in. You’ll get a lovely garlicky back note.
Bacon beans. An absolute family favourite. Slowly render pancetta until the fat runs, toss in your cooked beans to coat them, then finish with grated Parmesan. My children like a teaspoon of mint jelly on the side. It’s just how we roll.