Ingredients:

1 pound young, tender green beans
4 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, coarsely shopped

Dressing
1 tablespoon best-quality sherry wine vinegar
Sea salt to taste
1 teaspoon mustard
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, minced

Instructions:

1. About an hour before serving the salad, prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, the mustard and a pinch of salt. Set aside. In another bowl, combine the oil and the shallots. Set aside, uncovered, to mellow for about an hour. Just before serving, combine the vinegar and oil mixtures, and stir to blend. Taste for seasoning. Set aside.

2. Fill a large pot with 3 quarts of water and bring to boil over high heat.

3. Meanwhile, rinse the beans thoroughly and trim the ends. Cut into 1-inch lengths. Set aside.

4. Prepare a large bowl of ice water.

5. When the water has come to a boil, add 2 tablespoons of sea salt and the beans. Boil, uncovered, until the beans are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
    (Cooking time will vary according to the size and tenderness of the beans.) Immediately drain the beans and plunge them into the ice water so they cool down as quickly as possible. (The beans will cool in 1 to 2 minutes. After that, they begin to lose flavor.) Transfer the beans to a colander to drain.

6. Transfer the beans to a bowl, pour the dressing over the beans, and toss to coat evenly. Just before serving mix-in the coriander leaves.