Creamy (no cans) Green Beans with Crispy Shallots

By Niecer

Hand-crisped shallots are an elegant replacement for the canned French-fried onions so often used to garnish these classic holiday bean dish. When cleaning mushrooms, do so with a brush or damp paper towel -- when washed in water, mushrooms become soggy.

Make Ahead Tip
Bake and refrigerate untopped green bean mixture 1 day ahead. Fry shallots up to 2 days ahead; store in airtight container at room temperature. Reheat green beans, covered, at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, until heated through. Top with crispy shallots the last 5 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut in 3-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 pound button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 4 TBS olive oil
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 gratings of fresh nutmeg
• Canola oil, for frying
• 9 shallots, sliced crosswise in 1/4-inch rings
• 1/2 cup cornstarch, sifted

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish; set aside.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boiling. Prepare and set aside a large bowl of ice water. Cook green beans in boiling water about 8 minutes, just until bright green; drain and place in ice water to cool rapidly. Drain thoroughly.
Meanwhile, in very large skillet, melt 2 Tbsp. of the butter over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in hot butter about 3 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil; turn heat to medium-high. Saute mushrooms about 4 minutes, until golden. Transfer onions, mushrooms, and beans to a large bowl.
For sauce, in the same skillet, add 3 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat; stir in flour. Stir constantly, about 2 minutes, until flour turns light brown. Slowly pour in the milk; cook and stir about 4 minutes, until thickened. Stir in salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from heat; cool completely. Pour cooked sauce over bean mixture; stir to coat evenly. Spoon into prepared baking dish. Bake about 45 minutes, until sauce bubbles around edges.
Meanwhile, for topping, pour 3 to 4 inches of oil into a deep heavy saucepan. Heat oil over medium-high heat until sizzling. Working in batches, separate shallots into rings; toss with cornstarch to coat, shaking off excess. Carefully add to hot oil. Fry for 2 minutes (each batch), until golden and crisp. Remove with slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. OR USE French's Onions
Remove casserole from oven, sprinkle with shallots. Bake 5 minutes more, until top is crisp and golden. Serve warm.