This recipe is adapted from New Orleans chef Donald Link’s cookbook,
Real Cajun. Link’s three restaurants, Herbsaint, Cochon and Butcher are
wildly popular – on a recent visit to Cochon, there was a crowd waiting
to get in at 9 p.m. on a Monday. Some of the book’s recipes are from
the restaurants, but most are, as the subtitle says, “rustic home
cooking.” I’ve made many of the dishes; all have been wonderful. It’s
filled with family stories and memories as well, and is the best Cajun
cookbook I’ve seen since Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen more than
20 years ago.
Yes, this recipe is far more involved than the
classic canned version and involves three separate preparations,
although two can be made days ahead of time, leaving only the onions to
fry at the last minute. But the result is definitely “kicked up a
notch,” as another New Orleans chef, Emeril Lagasse says. Several
notches, in fact.
For the green beans:
- 4 strips thick-sliced bacon, cut
- crosswise into half-inch pieces
- 1 c. thinly sliced onion, NOT super-sweet
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, about 1 heaping tsp.
- 2 lbs. green beans, trimmed and snapped into 2-inch lengths
- Approximately 4 c. chicken,
- pork or vegetable broth, OR water
- 1 tsp. salt, or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Tabasco or Louisiana hot sauce, optional
For the sauce:
- 6 T. unsalted butter, divided
- 1 c. finely chopped onion
- 1 tsp. salt
- pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 c. heavy cream
- 1 1/2 c. grated white or yellow Cheddar cheese.
For the fried onions:
- 3 c. vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, very thinly sliced and the slices separated into rings
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
Heat
the bacon in a large pot over medium-high heat until lightly browned.
Add the onion and sauté until tender, 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and
sauté a few minutes longer.
Add the green beans and enough
broth or water to just cover, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low,
and simmer, covered, for 25-35 minutes until the beans are tender.
Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce. The beans can be made ahead to
this point, and kept, refrigerated, for several days.
Preheat the oven to 350° (unless making the sauce ahead of time).
Strain
the cooking liquid from the beans. Measure the liquid: you should have
about 2 ½ c. If less, add more broth or water; if more, return to the
pan and reduce over high heat to the proper amount. Put the green beans
in a large mixing bowl.
Melt 2 T. butter in a large skillet
over medium-low heat. Add the onion, salt, and nutmeg and cook,
stirring, until soft, 6-8 minutes. Add the remaining 4 T. butter and
stir until melted. Add the flour and cook, stirring frequently, until
the mixture just begins to turn golden. Stir in the cooking liquid and
cream and simmer, stirring, until the sauce is thick enough to fall
slowly from a spoon, 5-7 minutes.
Remove from the heat and
stir in the cheese, then add the skillet’s content to the green beans,
then toss gently until combined.
Transfer the mixture to a
9-inch x 13-inch baking dish. At this point the mixture can be made
ahead and kept, covered and refrigerated, for several days. If making
ahead of time, remove the casserole from the refrigerator 1-2 hours
before proceeding to let it come to room temperature.
Bake until the casserole is hot and bubbly around the edges, about 25-30 minutes. (A bit longer if it’s been made ahead.)
While
the casserole bakes, fry the onions. Season the onion rings with salt
and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet or other large
deep pan. Place the flour in a pie plate or paper bag, add a fourth of
the onions, and toss to combine. When the oil is very hot (about 350°)
but not smoking, shake any excess flour from the onions and add them to
the oil. Fry until golden, about 4-5 minutes, then drain on paper
towels. Repeat with the remaining onions.
Remove the casserole
from the oven, top with the onions. Return to the oven for an
additional 20 minutes, until the onions become more deeply golden.
Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving. Serves 8-12.
This article appears in Nov 18-24, 2010.
