Cooking Class with Chef Ivan Flowers Lesson 22- Green Bean Gratinee & Brussels Sprouts

Last week we learned how to make fabulous mashed potatoes and gravy to go with our turkey and stuffing. In this final pre-Thanksgiving cooking class, I will cover some vegetable dishes to help complete your Thanksgiving dinner. First we will learn a modern twist on an old classic, the green bean casserole. If you are looking for a new way to serve green beans at your Thanksgiving table, you will love this recipe. Then, we will learn a great technique that will make a Brussels sprouts lover out of your most finicky guests.

Let’s get cooking!

First, the green bean gratinee. This recipe will serve four, so if you are having more guests, please increase the amounts. For this dish you will need: an 8 X 8 casserole dish, a large stockpot, a sauté pan, a large mixing bowl, a bowl of ice water, 1 lb. fresh green beans, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tsp. granulated garlic, 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, ½ cup smoked provolone (shredded), ½ cup panko, 4 slices thick cut bacon, ¼ cup Parmesan, 1 cup mascarpone or cream cheese, ¼ cup whole milk, ¼ tsp. Tabasco, ¼ teaspoon pepper & salt to taste.

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You will want the butter and mascarpone to be at room temperature for this recipe. We need it soft so it will be fully incorporated into the dish. I suggest taking it out of the fridge at least an hour before you start to cook.

Now, with fresh green beans you will need to trim them before cooking, for this particular recipe, cut off both ends of the green bean where you see the string like end. After you have trimmed them, cut them in half.

Before we continue, yes, you COULD use a canned or frozen green bean, but the flavor would not be as intense. I strongly suggest that you use fresh green beans for this dish.

Next, in the stockpot bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, put in all the green beans in the water and cook for about two minutes. After two minutes remove from pot and immediately put into the bowl of ice water. By doing this, you stop the bean from cooking any further and it will retain its integrity and bright green color. This process is called to “shock.” Once you have put the beans in the ice water, drain well and set aside.

Now, dice the bacon and fry in the sauté pan until crisp. Drain on paper towel and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine the room temperature mascarpone, milk, Parmesan, granulated garlic, lemon juice, Tabasco and pepper. Once thoroughly combined, stir in green beans and bacon and check for seasoning, if it needs salt, add it now.

At this point, butter your casserole dish and put the mixture into it. Top with the shredded smoked provolone and Panko. Panko is a Japanese bread crumb that is larger than a standard American bread crumb. Because of its larger size, it creates more of a crunch. If you want, you can use regular unseasoned bread crumbs.

Cover with foil and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake ten minutes more until topping is golden brown. There you have it!

Next, we will cook Brussels sprouts. Again, I like to use fresh and if you can find them on the stem, even better. This recipe will serve four to six people. For this you will need: foil, baking sheet, 1 ½ pounds fresh Brussels sprouts, four ice cubes, four sprigs of thyme, three tablespoons unsalted butter, ¾ tablespoon, garlic puree (equal parts fresh garlic & canola oil blended together), one tablespoon apple cider, one tablespoon apple cider vinegar, juice of one lemon, salt and pepper.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

First, you will want to trim the Brussels sprouts. To do this, simply remove the hard yellow end at the base. Once trimmed, place them in the center of a three foot by three foot foil packet. Also, place one tablespoon unsalted butter, the four sprigs of thyme and the four ice cubes. Wrap very tightly creating a sealed foil packet.

So, what are we doing? This method allows us to simultaneously roast AND steam the Brussels sprouts. Once you have a tight packet, place on a baking sheet and cook in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

During last few minutes of cooking time, combine in a sauté pan over medium heat: two tablespoons unsalted butter, ¾ teaspoon garlic puree, juice of one lemon, one tablespoon apple cider vinegar and one tablespoon apple cider. Cook this until the butter starts to foam and becomes lightly brown.

Now, drain the Brussels sprouts, removing any excess liquid and the thyme sprigs. Fold the drained Brussels sprouts into the butter mixture and cook two minutes. Next check for seasoning and add any salt and pepper that is needed.

Finally, I like to finish these with a little Parmesan. The roasted Brussels sprout flavor works gloriously with the richness of the butter and the sweet and sour play of the apple cider and apple cider vinegar.

So, with this class, you have a great road map to a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. Remember, make these recipes your own, and add a little something here and there… Also, don’t stress. Prep as much as you can before the actual holiday, enjoy the cooking process and have fun. As with any technique or recipe, the most important component is the cook’s heart. The heart is what creates delicious.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Chef Ivan Flowers brings 25 years of fine cuisine experience to Top of The Market, San Diego. Prior to becoming Executive Chef at Top of The Market, Chef Flowers owned Fournos restaurant in Sedona, Arizona, named a top 25 restaurant in Arizona. He was also Executive Chef at L’Auberge de Sedona, the AAA Four-Diamond, Four Star award winning restaurant. Flowers has created extraordinary cuisine for some of the finest restaurants in Arizona, including T. Cooks at Scottsdale's Royal Palms Resort and the Phoenician's Mary Elaine's and Different Pointe of View.

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