Creamy bean crumble

This could be baked in two pans — one for each end of the table. The Hungarian paprika I used is a little spicy.

Ingredients

500 g	Green beans, round
2 Tbsp	Olive oil
1 large	Shallot, diced
1	Garlic clove, crushed
¾ cup	Cream
¼ cup	Grated parmesan cheese
1 pinch	Grated nutmeg
1 pinch	Hungarian paprika
1 tsp	Lemon rind, finely grated
2 cups	Spinach, washed and finely sliced
½ cup	Breadcrumbs, fresh

Directions

1. Top and tail the beans and slice. Blanch in boiling salted water until just tender. Drain and refresh under cold water. Pat dry. Place in a 24cm x 16cm baking dish.
2. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Sauté the shallot, until softened. Add the garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Whisk in the cream, parmesan, nutmeg and paprika. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the lemon rind and spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted. Pour over the beans.
4. Preheat the oven to 190C.
5. Sprinkle the beans with the breadcrumbs. Bake for 20-30 minutes until hot and golden.

More Christmas dinner sides from Jan

• Israeli couscous, tomatoes and basil
• Parmesan hasselbacks