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Food

Green Bean Casserole with Smoked Gouda and Fried Shallots Recipe

This is a fancy, updated version of a classic green bean casserole, with gorgeous chanterelles instead of cream of mushroom soup, and crispy shallots instead of fried onions. Hell yeah.
Green Bean Casserole with Smoked Gouda and Fried Shallots Recipe

Servings: 9
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

for the beans
1 pound|454 grams green beans
½ cup sea salt

for the chanterelles
½ pound|227 grams chanterelle mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

for the cheese sauce
3 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 garlic cloves (peeled, smashed smooth with ½ teaspoon sea salt)
2 ½ cups|590 ml whole milk
3 ounces|85 grams smoked gouda
2 ounces|60 grams parmesan (ground in a food processor)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

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for the topping
1 ½ cups|355 ml panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 ounces|60 gram parmesan (ground in food processor)
1 garlic clove (peeled, smashed smooth with ¼ tsp sea salt)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 shallots
1 quart|946 ml canola oil

Directions

  1. First, cook the beans. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a 6-quart sauce pan. Add ½ cup of salt. Meanwhile, take the stem ends off of the fresh green beans, and cut in ½ on bias. Allow the water to come back to the boil and then set a timer for 2 minutes. Drain beans and rinse with cold running water to stop cooking. Set aside.
  2. Next, clean the chanterelles by peeling back the stem with a paring knife, and brushing off any surface dirt with a soft towel. Cut mushrooms into quarters. Heat a cast iron or small steel skillet to medium-high, and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add quartered mushrooms, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook stirring often until mushrooms lose their water and begin to dry back out slightly. At the last minute add a tablespoon of butter to the hot pan, and toss one last time. Taste the mushrooms for doneness and seasoning. Set aside.
  3. Now, make the cheese sauce: In a small sauce pan (about 4 quarts) melt butter over medium-low heat and then add flour. Whisk well to incorporate, and then add minced garlic. Cook until flour begins to get very pale golden, and garlic is no longer raw. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Quickly, but gradually, mix in 2 ½ cups|590 ml milk. Whisk to thoroughly incorporate. Allow milk mixture to simmer gently until thickened, 5-6 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the Gouda and grated parmesan. Whisk well, and then taste and adjust final seasoning.
  4. Now, make the shallot topping: Slice 4 shallots to 1/16 inch thickness. Heat 1 quart of canola oil to 250ºF and carefully fry the shallots to a light golden brown. This takes quite a bit of time, and no, 250 is not a typo. You have to go low and slow with the shallots as the natural sugars have a tendency to burn. Drain onto a paper towel. They should be a light nutty brown, but any further and they will taste bitter. Salt lightly and allow to fully cool. In a small saute pan over medium-low heat, add butter and then garlic and panko. Carefully and evenly toast to a light golden brown.
  5. Finally, it's time to assemble and bake this thing: Toss green beans and mushrooms with cheese sauce. Taste for final seasoning. Place in a small casserole (about 9x9 or so), and top with the Panko crumbs. Bake at 375ºF for about 15 minutes or until very bubbly. Remove from the oven and top with crispy fried shallots. Serve.

From Let Everyone See the Turkey Before You Fuck It Up

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