Braised Green Beans and Potatoes

From New York Times/ Eric Kim

In this simple but powerful recipe, fresh green beans are the alpha and the omega, the bean and the broth. You know a recipe is going to be good when it calls for both onion powder and garlic powder in addition to fresh onion and fresh garlic. The muskier dried versions of these alliums aren’t redundant; they lend fortification to the savory structure that only onion and garlic can build. The potatoes, simmered until soft and fuzzy at the edges, make this holiday side dish — served, please, with a slotted spoon, as part of a buffet plate — feel more like a complete meal when enjoyed later, as leftovers. The ham hock (or smoked turkey leg) isn’t just an afterthought, said Scotty Scott, this recipe’s author and the author of “Fix Me a Plate.” Picked off the bone and chunked into a bowl with the green beans and their rich broth, the meat is a reminder of the soft but important boundary between special and ordinary. —Eric Kim

INGREDIENTS

Yield:6 servings

1smoked ham hock or turkey leg (see Tip)

1medium onion, chopped

5 garlic cloves, smashed

2 quarts chicken stock, plus more as needed

1½ teaspoons seasoned salt, plus more to taste

½ teaspoon paprika

½ garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

1fresh or dried bay leaf

2 pounds green beans, trimmed and snapped in half

2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes

PREPARATION

In a large pot, add the ham hock, onion, garlic, chicken stock, seasoned salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Place the beans in the pot, partly cover it and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the beans, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 40 minutes to 1 hour. (They will continue to cook with the potatoes.) If the beans are exposed, add more stock to the pot to keep them covered.

Add the potatoes, partly cover the pot again and simmer until cooked through, about 30 more minutes. The beans should be tender but still hold their shape.

Before serving, remove the bay leaf. If desired, remove the ham hock as well, pick off the meat and add the meat back to the pot. Use a slotted spoon to serve the beans as a side dish on a plate or enjoy reheated leftovers in a bowl with the broth.

TIP: Other smoked meat products, like turkey wings or a leftover hambone, work in a pinch, but just note that there will be less meat to pick off and enjoy with the beans.