- Preheat oven to 350 ̊. Generously
brush a 2½-to-3-quart baking
dish with butter. Char red pepper
over a gas flame on high (or, if
you don’t have a gas stove, on a
rimmed baking sheet directly
under the broiler) until blackened
all over, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer
to a bowl; cover with plastic wrap
and let stand 10 minutes. Rub
charred skin with a paper towel to
remove. Peel, seed, and stem pep-
per, then cut into ½-inch pieces. - Cook macaroni in a pot of gen-
erously salted boiling water until
al dente, about 2 minutes less
than package instructions. Drain
well; transfer to prepared baking
dish. Mix in cubed cheese and
½ cup roasted red pepper (reserve
remainder for another use). - In a large bowl, whisk together
f lou r, 1½ teaspoons salt, mustard,
cayenne, and nutmeg. Whisk in
sour cream and eggs until smooth,
then onion, half and half, cream,
and Worcestershire until thor-
oughly combined. Pour over
macaroni mixture; gently shake
dish to blend. Sprinkle grated
cheese evenly over top. - Bake until set around edges
but still loose in center, 25 to 30
minutes (do not overbake; mix-
ture will continue setting as it
cools). Let cool on a wire rack
until set but still warm, 10 to 20
minutes. Serve.
ACTIVE TIME: 40 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 1 HR.
5 MIN., PLUS COOLING | SERVES: 10 TO 12Green-Bean Casserole
With Chestnuts and
Buttered Breadcrumbs
12 tablespoons unsalted butter,
plus more for brushing
Kosher salt and freshly
ground pepper
2 pounds green beans,
trimmed
3 cups coarse fresh
breadcrumbs
6 ounces peeled roasted
chestnuts, coarsely
chopped (1¼ cups)
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh
parsley leaves
1 ½ cups whole milk
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 clove garlic, minced
10 ounces mixed mushrooms,
such as cremini, oyster, and
trumpet, sliced (4 cups);
plus 2 trumpet mushrooms,
thinly sliced lengthwise
(optional)
1 onion, finely chopped
(2 cups)
¼ cup unbleached all-
purpose flour
Pinch of freshly grated
nutmeg
Extra-virgin olive oil, for
tossing (optional)- Preheat oven to 350 ̊. Gener-
ously brush a 3-quart baking
dish with butter. Prepare a bowl
of salted ice water. Cook green
beans in a large pot of generously
salted boiling water until crisp-
tender and dark green, 3 to
4 minutes. Drain; immediately
transfer to ice water until thor-
oughly chilled. Drain and pat
dry. Halve beans on the bias and
transfer to prepared dish. - In a bowl, toss breadcrumbs
with chestnuts to combine. Melt
6 tablespoons butter; drizzle
evenly over breadcrumb mixture,
tossing until evenly absorbed.
Toss in parsley; season with salt
and pepper. - In a small saucepan, heat milk
and cream over medium-low
until scalding and bubbles emerge
along edges of pan. Remove from
heat; cover to keep warm. - Sprinkle garlic with a pinch of
salt; mash into a paste with the
side of a knife. In a large straight-
sided skillet, melt remaining 6
tablespoons butter over medium
heat. Add mixed mushrooms;
season with salt. Cook, stirring
occasionally, until tender and
beginning to brown, 15 to 18
minutes. Add onion, season with
salt, and cook, stirring often,
until onion is translucent but not
browning, about 5 minutes.
Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute more.
Sprinkle flour evenly over mixture
and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
Slowly add milk mixture, stirring,
and bring to a simmer. Cook
until thickened slightly, about
3 minutes. Stir in nutmeg; season
with salt and pepper. Pour mix-
ture evenly over green beans in
dish. Sprinkle breadcrumb mix-
ture evenly over top. - Bake until bubbly along edges
and crisp golden brown on top,
about 30 minutes. Meanwhile,
toss sliced trumpet mushrooms
with enough oil to lightly coat,
season with salt and pepper, and
arrange in a single layer on a
rimmed baking sheet. Roast until
tender and golden brown along
edges, about 30 minutes. Top cas-
serole with roasted mushrooms;
serve warm.
ACTIVE TIME: 1 HR. | TOTAL TIME: 2 HR.
10 MIN. | SERVES: 10 TO 12Spiced Pear Pie
With Buckwheat Crumble
CRUST
Deep-Dish Pâte Brisée
(recipe follows)
Unbleached all-purpose
flour, for dusting
STREUSEL TOPPING
¾ cup unbleached all-
purpose flour
3 tablespoons buckwheat
flour
1/3 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon,
preferably Ceylon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 stick cold unsalted butter,
cut into small pieces
FILLING
4 pounds Bartlett pears
(about 8), peeled, cored, and
cut into 1-inch wedges
3 tablespoons unbleached
all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup sugar
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon,
preferably Ceylon
1 teaspoon finely grated
Meyer-lemon zest, plus
3 tablespoons fresh juice
¼ teaspoon freshly ground
pepper
3 tablespoons cane syrup,
such as Steen’s or Lyle’s
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh
ginger (from a 1-inch piece)
¼ cup golden raisins- Crust: Preheat oven to 375 ̊. Roll
out dough to a 13-inch round on
a lightly floured surface. Transfer
to a 9-inch deep-dish pie dish.
Using kitchen shears or a paring
knife, trim to a 1-inch overhang.
Fold overhang under itself to
form a rim; pinch between thumb
and forefinger to make a uniform
edge, then crimp with fingertips.
Mark indentations with the tines
of a fork for a more decorative
edge, if desired. Refrigerate until
firm, 30 minutes.- Line dough with parchment. Fill
with dried beans or pie weights;
bake until crust is firm and dry,
about 25 minutes. Carefully
remove beans and parchment;
bake until golden on bottom,
5 to 10 minutes more. Transfer to
a wire rack; let cool completely.
(Cooled crust can be loosely cov-
ered with plastic wrap and stored
at room temperature up to 1 day.) - Streusel topping: Whisk
together both flours, sugar, salt,
cinnamon, and cardamom in a
bowl. Add butter and massage in
with your fingers until thoroughly
combined. Press topping into
bottom of bowl; cover and refrig-
erate until firm, at least 1 hour
and up to 3 days. - Filling: Place pears in a steamer
basket set over a pot of simmer-
ing water. Cover and steam until
tender but still holding their
shape, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer
to a baking sheet; let cool to
warm room temperature, about
15 minutes. In a large bowl, stir
together flour, salt, sugar, cinna-
mon, lemon zest, and pepper.
Stir in cane syrup, lemon juice,
and ginger to form a loose paste.
Add cooled pears and raisins,
tossing to evenly coat. Transfer
filling to crust, mounding mix-
ture in center. Break topping
into bite-size pieces and sprinkle
evenly over filling. - Bake until filling is bubbly,
pears are tender, and topping
turns golden brown, 55 to 65 min-
utes. Transfer to wire rack; let
cool completely, at least 4 hours
or, loosely covered, up to 1 day.
ACTIVE TIME: 40 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 2 HR.
50 MIN., PLUS COOLING | SERVES: 10 TO 12
Deep-Dish Pâte Brisée
1 ⅔ cups unbleached all-
purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons cold
unsalted butter, cut into
small pieces
4 to 5 tablespoons ice water