Alexander Smalls’ Sautéed Green Beans with Toasted Charleston Benne Seeds

Alexander Smalls
Alexander Smalls
Alexander is an iconic figure in American cooking and a James Beard Award-winning author, chef, and restaurateur. He has owned multiple celebrated Harlem eateries, including the reopened Minton’s Playhouse; The Cecil, which was Esquire Magazine’s “Best New Restaurant in America” in 2014; and the acclaimed Café Beulah, which was New York City’s first fine-dining African American restaurant. Smalls was named one of NYC Restaurant Power Players by Zagat. He is the author of three critically acclaimed cookbooks, and his most recent book, Meals, Music, and Muses, was named one of the Top 5 Lifestyle Books 2020 by Publisher's Weekly. Smalls is also a world-renowned opera singer and the winner of a Grammy and a Tony Award.
published Nov 2, 2021
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Sautéed Green Beans with Toasted Charleston Benne Seeds Recipe

Toasted Charleston benne seeds redefine this classic Thanksgiving side.

Serves6

Prep10 minutes

Cook11 minutes to 14 minutes

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Sauteed green beans in bowl being sprinkled with sesame (benne) seeds
Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk; Prop Styling: Stephanie Yeh

Thanksgiving Food Fest is an exciting virtual event that takes us inside five star chefs’ home kitchens as they cook through five cohesive, fascinating, and delicious Thanksgiving menus. Tune in each night from November 7 to 11 to see their holiday vision come to life — and chat LIVE with the chef. See the schedule and get more details here.

Traveling the world, I fell in love with wok-cooked vegetables that are cooked over a high heat with minimal liquid, so I adapted this dish and added the characteristics of the South. I add chicken broth, which helps tenderize the beans, soften the texture, and add flavor. 

I love this dish year-round: warm as a side or chilled as the base of a salad. Just add fresh tomato and your favorite leafy herb — fresh mint and basil work especially well.

Meals, Music, and Muses: Recipes from My African American Kitchen
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Sautéed Green Beans with Toasted Charleston Benne Seeds Recipe

Toasted Charleston benne seeds redefine this classic Thanksgiving side.

Prep time 10 minutes

Cook time 11 minutes to 14 minutes

Serves 6

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds

    green beans

  • 3 cloves

    garlic

  • 2 sprigs

    fresh thyme

  • 1 sprig

    fresh rosemary

  • 2 tablespoons

    olive oil

  • 1/4 cup

    unsalted vegetable or chicken stock or broth

  • Salt

  • Cracked black pepper

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons

    toasted benne (white sesame) seeds

Instructions

  1. Trim the stem ends from 1 1/2 pounds green beans. Mince 3 garlic cloves (1 tablespoon). Pick the leaves from 2 fresh thyme sprigs and finely chop (1/2 teaspoon). Pick the leaves from 1 fresh rosemary sprig and finely chop (1/2 teaspoon).

  2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast-iron pan or high-sided skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the garlic, thyme, and rosemary, and cook for 1 minute. Add the green beans and cook, turning them occasionally with tongs, until they brighten in color, about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup unsalted stock, reduce the heat to medium, and cover. Simmer, turning the beans occasionally, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes.

  3. Taste and season with salt and cracked black pepper as needed. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted benne seeds and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

From Meals, Music, and Muses by Alexander Smalls. Copyright © 2020 by the author and reprinted by permission of Flatiron Books.

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Chicken
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Thanksgiving Food Fest 2021
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