The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (114 page)
Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
SERVES 10 TO 12
This recipe can be halved and baked in a 2-quart (or 8-inch square) baking dish. If making a half batch, decrease the cooking time of the sauce in step 3 to about 6 minutes (reducing it to 1³⁄
4
cups) and the baking time in step 4 to 10 minutes.
TOPPING
4 | slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters |
2 | tablespoons unsalted butter, softened |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
¹⁄ | teaspoon pepper |
3 | cups canned fried onions (about 6 ounces) |
BEANS AND SAUCE
2 | pounds green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise |
Salt and pepper | |
3 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
1 | pound white mushrooms, trimmed and broken into ¹⁄ |
3 | garlic cloves, minced |
3 | tablespoons all-purpose flour |
1¹⁄ | cups low-sodium chicken broth |
1¹⁄ | cups heavy cream |
1. FOR THE TOPPING:
Pulse bread, butter, salt, and pepper in food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer to large bowl and toss with onions; set aside.
2. FOR THE BEANS AND SAUCE:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Fill large bowl with ice water. Line baking sheet with paper towels. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add beans and 2 tablespoons salt. Cook beans until bright green and crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Drain beans in colander, then plunge immediately into ice water to stop cooking. Spread beans on prepared baking sheet to drain.
3.
Melt butter in now-empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, ³⁄
4
teaspoon salt, and ¹⁄
8
teaspoon pepper and cook until mushrooms release moisture and liquid evaporates, about 6 minutes. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and bring to simmer, stirring constantly. Add cream, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until sauce is thickened and reduced to 3¹⁄
2
cups, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4.
Add green beans to sauce and stir until evenly coated. Arrange in even layer in 3-quart (or 13 by 9-inch) baking dish. Sprinkle with topping and bake until top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling around edges, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
TO MAKE AHEAD:
Store the bread-crumb topping in refrigerator for up to 2 days and combine with onions just before cooking. Combine beans and cooled sauce in baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. To serve, remove plastic wrap and heat casserole in 425-degree oven for 10 minutes, then add topping and bake as directed.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
In our search for the best way to cook beets, we paid special attention to minimizing “bleeding”—many cooks avoid beets due to the mess they can cause both in the kitchen and on the plate. Boiling was eliminated quickly since it created a mess. But steaming produced beets with a minimum of mess and they were lusciously moist—especially when we combined them with orange slices, rosemary, and warm spices to make pickled beets. We also found success with roasting beets. Foil-wrapped roasted beets were more moist than unwrapped roasted beets, but the latter had more flavor. Whatever the cooking method, we minimized bleeding by not peeling the skin and by not slicing off the tops of the beets prior to cooking.
SERVES 8
Don’t let the pan run out of water during this long steaming process.
2 | pounds beets, greens removed, stems trimmed to 1 inch |
Fit large saucepan with steamer basket. Add water, keeping level below basket. Place beets in basket, bring water to boil, cover, and steam beets over high heat until they can be easily poked with paring knife, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove beets using tongs, cool slightly, and remove skins. Serve.
MAKES ABOUT 2 QUARTS
Use small beets, about the size of a golf ball, if available. Bigger beets should be quartered or sliced after steaming.
4 | pounds beets, trimmed |
²⁄ | cup red wine |
¹⁄ | cup sweet vermouth |
¹⁄ | cup cider vinegar |
¹⁄ | cup honey or brown sugar |
1 | teaspoon whole cloves |
1 | (3-inch) stick ground cinnamon |
1 | sprig fresh rosemary |
2 | orange slices, seeds removed |
Salt and pepper |
1.
Fit large saucepan with steamer basket. Add water, keeping level below basket. Place beets in basket, bring water to boil, cover, and steam beets over high heat until they can be easily poked with paring knife, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove beets using tongs, cool slightly, and remove skins. Place beets in medium bowl.
2.
In a medium saucepan, bring wine, vermouth, vinegar, honey, cloves, cinnamon, rosemary, and orange slices to boil, then reduce heat and simmer to blend flavors, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then pour mixture over beets. Cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve. (Pickled beets can be refrigerated for up to 1 month.)
SERVES 8
Roasted beets bleed very little when cut, so they can also be used in recipes. Just remember that the dish will take on a sweet and very distinct roasted flavor.
2 | pounds beets, trimmed |
1 | tablespoon olive oil (if roasting without aluminum foil) |
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap beets in foil or brush with olive oil and place in small roasting pan. Roast until beets can be easily poked with paring knife, about 1 hour. Cool slightly, remove skins, and serve.
BEATING BEET STAINS
When cut, beets can bleed onto your cutting board, making it easy to discolor other foods you might be chopping next. Instead of stopping to wash the board between uses, we had a better idea: giving its surface a light coat of nonstick cooking spray before chopping. This thin coating added no discernible slickness under our knife and allowed us to quickly wipe the board clean with a paper towel before proceeding with our next task.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Boiling broccoli can result in army-green mush. But another moist-heat method, steaming, works well with broccoli because it keeps the florets tender but also cooks the stalks thoroughly. We found the delicate florets were best cooked above water by steaming, and peeling the stems and cutting them into small pieces ensured they cooked through at the same rate as the florets. For instant flavor without fuss, we tossed the steamed broccoli with one of several simple dressings. Bolder vinaigrettes paired best with the broccoli’s somewhat strong flavor.
SERVES 4
Cutting the florets and peeled stalks into equal-size pieces ensures that they will all cook at the same rate. The sweet flavor of the steamed broccoli pairs well with bold, bright flavors. Serve it with best-quality olive oil, your favorite vinaigrette, or one of the vinaigrette recipes that follow. For maximum absorption, toss steamed broccoli with the oil or dressing when hot.
1¹⁄ | pounds broccoli, florets cut into 1-inch pieces, stalks peeled, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced crosswise ¹⁄ |
2 | tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
Salt and pepper |
Fit large saucepan with steamer basket. Add water, keeping level below basket. Bring water to boil, add broccoli, cover, and steam until broccoli is just tender, 4¹⁄
2
to 5 minutes. Transfer broccoli to serving bowl and toss with oil and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or at room temperature.
MAKES ENOUGH FOR 1 RECIPE
STEAMED BROCCOLI
If using this vinaigrette, prepare the broccoli without the oil, salt, and pepper.
6 | tablespoons vegetable oil |
¹⁄ | cup sesame seeds, toasted |
1¹⁄ | tablespoons rice vinegar |
1 | tablespoon soy sauce |
1 | tablespoon sugar |
1 | teaspoon toasted sesame oil |
Process all ingredients in food processor until sesame seeds are ground and vinaigrette is well blended, about 15 seconds.
MAKES ENOUGH FOR 1 RECIPE
STEAMED BROCCOLI
Use a high-quality, aged balsamic vinegar to reduce harshness. If using this vinaigrette, prepare the broccoli without the oil, salt, and pepper.
6 | tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
2 | tablespoons balsamic vinegar |
1 | shallot, minced |
1 | tablespoon minced fresh basil |
1 | garlic clove, minced |
Salt and pepper |
Mix all ingredients in medium bowl until well blended and add salt and pepper to taste.
MAKES ENOUGH FOR 1 RECIPE
STEAMED BROCCOLI
This recipe takes its cue from Caribbean cooking. The dressing is quite potent, so a little goes a long way. If using this vinaigrette, prepare the broccoli without the oil, salt, and pepper.
3 | tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
1 | teaspoon grated lime zest plus 1 tablespoon juice |
¹⁄ | teaspoon ground cumin |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
Hot sauce | |
¹⁄ | cup minced red onion |
Mix oil, lime zest and juice, cumin, and salt together in medium bowl until well blended. Season with hot sauce to taste. Stir in onion.
MAKES ENOUGH FOR 1 RECIPE
STEAMED BROCCOLI
Make sure to scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl to incorporate all the ingredients into the sauce. If using this vinaigrette, prepare the broccoli without the oil, salt, and pepper.
¹⁄ | cup fresh parsley leaves |
¹⁄ | cup fresh cilantro leaves |
3 | tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
1 | tablespoon lemon juice |
2 | garlic cloves, peeled |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
Process all ingredients in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds.