Green bean casserole

Ingredients

• 1.8 lbgreen beans, trimmed
• 2 ozunsalted butter
• 12 1/4 ozchestnut mushrooms, sliced
• 1onion, finely chopped
• 2 clovegarlic, crushed
• 1 1/2 ozall-purpose flour
• 1 2/3 cupswhole milk, warmed
• 3/8 cupheavy cream
• 1 tspsoy sauce
• 1 1/2 tspsea salt
• 1/2 tspblack pepper
• 2 3/4 ozcrispy fried onions

Method

1. 1

   Boil the green beans in well-salted water until just tender with a squeak left in them, then drain and plunge them straight into iced water. Drain again and dry them well.

2. 2

   Melt the butter in a wide pan and cook the mushrooms and onion over a good heat until the mushrooms have released their liquid, it has boiled away, and they have properly colored.

3. 3

   Stir in the garlic and the flour and cook for a minute, then add the warmed milk gradually, whisking until smooth. Simmer until thick, then stir in the cream, soy sauce, salt and pepper.

4. 4

   Heat the oven to 400°F. Fold the dried beans through the sauce, tip everything into a baking dish, and bake until bubbling around the edges and hot right through.

5. 5

   Scatter the crispy fried onions over the top and return the dish to the oven for a few minutes only, just long enough to warm and darken them.