Lip-Smacking Side Dishes by Emeril

Aug. 11, 2008 — -- Emeril Lagasse is at it again. The superchef turned out more tasty dishes when he visited "Good Morning America" today. This time, he set his culinary sights on the side dish. A little nutty apple salad, sweet corn off the cob pudding and mouthwatering bean town baked beans are sure to make fabulous compliments to your main course.

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Ingredients

1. Place the apples on a cutting board and core. Cut one apple in half. Place one apple half, flat side down, on the cutting board and cut lengthwise into quarters. Cut the quarters into 1/2-inch pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.

2. Repeat with the other apple half and the remaining apples.

3. Add the walnuts, celery, raisins, mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt, and stir well.

4. Serve immediately or cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 6 hours.

Yield: About 7 cups, serving 8 to 10

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, Emeril's There's a Chef in My Soup, HarperCollins Publishers, 2002

Ingredients

1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat the oven to 350 °F. Butter a n 8-inch casserole or 2 quart souffle dish with the butter and set aside.

2. In a large pot, bring the water and honey to a boil over high heat. Add the corn and cook for 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. With tongs, carefully remove the corn from the water and transfer to a medium bowl. Let sit until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, white pepper, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper, if desired.

4. One at a time, hold the corn in one hand and stand it on the thicker end so that it is "standing up" on the cutting board. Hold a large chef's knife in the other hand and with a downward motion, cut the kernels from the cob. Turn the cob with every cut so that you get all of the kernels. To get even more goodness, you can also scrape the corn cobs with the back side of the chef's knife or with a spoon this will release some of the milk from the corn. Add any juices to the cut kernels. Discard the cobs.

5. Add the corn kernels and onion to the egg mixture, stirring well to combine, and pour into the prepared baking dish.

6. Bake until firm in the center and golden brown on top, about 40 to 50 minutes.

7. Using oven mitts or pot holders, remove the baking dish from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving. This is best if served hot.

Yield: 6 servings

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, Emeril's There's a Chef in My Family, HarperCollins Publishers, 2004

Ingredients

1. Drain the soaked beans in a colander and discard the soaking water. Transfer the beans to a medium saucepan, add 6 cups of fresh water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the beans are tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Set the beans aside to cool in the cooking liquid.

2. Position rack in center of the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F.

3. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, saute the bacon until crisp and golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Be careful of grease splatters. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and cook, stirring, until melted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ketchup, maple syrup, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper and stir to combine well.

4. Set a colander over a mixing bowl in the sink and, using oven mitts or pot holders, drain the cooked beans away from you, reserving the cooking liquid in the bowl. Transfer the beans to an ovenproof saucepan or casserole dish. Add the bacon-ketchup mixture and stir to combine well. Cover the saucepan with the lid or aluminum foil and, using oven mitts or pot holders, transfer to the oven. Bake the beans, stirring occasionally, for 2 1/2 hours.

5. Using oven mitts or pot holders, remove the casserole, add 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid, and stir. With oven mitts or pot holders, return the casserole to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and bubbly around the edges. Using oven mitts or pot holders, remove the baked beans from the oven and serve.

Yield: About 4 cups, serving 4 to 6

Note: If you prefer to use canned beans, you can skip steps 1 and 2. Simply substitute 3 cups of canned cannellini, Great Northern, or navy beans, drained and rinsed, and an equal amount of water for the bean cooking liquid in step 12.

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, Emeril's There's a Chef in My Family, HarperCollins Publishers, 2004