Tried and True: Stovetop Green Bean Casserole – Alex Guarnaschelli Style

Ingredients

For the Green Beans:
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 pound string beans, ends trimmed, beans cut in half
• Ice cubes for the ice bath.
For the Mushrooms:
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 12 ounces white mushrooms, washed and sliced
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup sour cream
For the Shallots:
• Note: in my case, I just used fried onions from a jar (sorry Chef!) but if you want to do it from scratch, here are the ingredients.
• 4 cups canola oil
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 3 medium shallots, peeled and cut into thin rounds
• Kosher salt

Directions

For the green beans:
1. In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of water to a boil.
2. Add salt to the boiling water and then add the green beans. Cook for 4 minutes.
3. When the beans are cooked, "shock" them in an ice bath which is, essentially, a large bowl filled with ice cubes and cold water. For convenience, Chef Guarnaschelli suggests that you add a colander to the large bowl so that you will not have to pick out the green beans from the ice cubes (and it's a really good tip to keep in mind!).
4. Using a spoon, swirl the beans around in the colander so they are cooled.
5. Drain and set aside.
For the mushrooms:
6. In a large sauté pan or cast iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
7. Add the mushrooms to the melted butter, taking care to not crowd the pan.
8. Season with salt, to taste, and add the cayenne and mustard.
9. Stir to blend and cook until the mushrooms are browned a bit, 5 to 8 minutes.
10. Whisk in the garlic and flour to the mushrooms.
11. When all of the flour has been incorporated, add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
12. Stir in the cream and sour cream and simmer gently.
13. Continue cooking over low heat until the mixture thickens, 12 to 15 minutes.
14. Season with salt to taste.
For the shallots:
15. If you aren't taking a shortcut like I did with those "French fried onions", it's time to fry the shallots.
16. In a medium frying pan, pour the oil and heat to 350 degrees F.
17. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and cayenne.
18. Toss the shallot rounds in the flour and shake off the excess, using a small strainer.
19. Gently fry the shallots in small batches until they are a light to medium brown.
20. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate or tray that has been fitted with a kitchen towl.
21. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and let cool.
To assemble:
22. Stir the green beans and some of the shallots into the mushrooms.
23. Simmer on the stove, over low heat until the green beans become tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 10 to 15 minutes.
24. When ready to serve, top with all of the remaining shallots.
25. Enjoy!

Notes