Step 1

Prep. Snap off the stem ends of the beans.

Step 2

Boil a large pot of water, about 4 quarts. Fill a bowl about the same size with ice water and set it aside.

Step 3

Cook. When the water is boiling briskly, boil the beans for about 3 minutes. Do not cook them all the way through. This is called blanching. Drain them in a colander and plunge them into the ice water. This is called shocking and it helps preserve the bright green color. Drain and pat as dry as possible with paper towels. You can do this a day or two in advance.

Step 4

Heat the fat over a medium-high flame in a frying pan. Add the beans and toss them around so they brown a bit on all sides, but don't let them scorch. This should take about 5 minutes.

Step 5

Turn the heat down to medium and add the bread crumbs. Toss until they coat the beans and let them toast.

Step 6

Turn the heat down to low.

Step 7

Serve. Add salt and pepper to taste then plate before serving. Don't waste any of the bread crumbs that fell off the beans into the pan; sprinkle them over the beans.