Beans a la moutarde

Chop a shallot and give it a little head start in olive oil, then add the green beans for a couple of minutes, with butter if the pan looks dry.

Deglaze with white wine and reduce a little.

Add the butter beans, drained and rinsed, and enough milk to almost submerge everything; bring to a boil, then a spirited simmer until the starches and pectins leaking from the beans thicken it.

Stir in a huge spoonful of whole-grain mustard and a little cream; season with pepper and a lot of salt. The drained beans overcook and break apart before the sauce thickens, and the wine may curdle the milk.

Variation: add the beans with all their canning liquid (or some of it, by eye) and only a little milk; it thickens much faster without overcooking the beans, and the starch keeps the milk from curdling. Add mustard and cream, season with less salt, finish with parsley.