Green bean casserole with homemade french fried onions and cream of mushroom soup

Halve two large onions, slice them thinly on a mandolin and soak in about a cup of buttermilk for about 15 minutes.

Drain, coat in all-purpose flour and shake off the excess through a sieve.

Deep fry at 300F for about seven to nine minutes until golden brown and crisp; a lower temperature suits onions because they hold a lot of moisture.

Season the fried onions lightly with kosher salt.

Stem, crush and finely chop eight ounces of cremini mushrooms and saute in a high walled saute pan with about three tablespoons of bubbling butter and a generous pinch of salt to draw out the moisture.

Once the moisture has evaporated add one heaping tablespoon of flour and saute about one minute to form a rudimentary roux.

Add two cloves of crushed garlic, saute another 30 seconds, then deglaze with a little cognac, flambeing if desired.

Add about a cup and a half of chicken stock and one cup of heavy cream, bring to a simmer, add a dash of soy sauce and simmer until dark, thick and rich.

Cut the stems off the green beans, slice into 1-inch pieces, parboil about two minutes until bright green, then shock in an ice bath and drain.

Mix the beans with the cream of mushroom soup and about half of the french fried onions.

Pour into a generously buttered casserole, cover and bake at 350F for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly.

Uncover, sprinkle on the remaining french fried onions and cook another 5 to 10 minutes until browned and bubbly.