- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits, plus additional for greasing wax paper
- 1/2 lb haricots verts or other thin green beans, trimmed
- 4 Belgian endives (1 lb), trimmed, leaving leaves attached, and halved lengthwise
- 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Cut out a round of wax paper to fit just inside a 12-inch heavy skillet, then butter 1 side of round.
- Fit endives, cut sides down, snugly in skillet. Add broth, lemon juice, butter bits, sugar, and salt, then cover endives with wax-paper round, buttered side down, and simmer until endives are tender and liquid is thickened and reduced to about a quarter of its original volume, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook beans in a 4-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking, then drain again.
- Remove wax paper from endives, then gently stir in beans and cook until beans are just heated through, about 1 minute.