I have no idea what I’m doing…

Remember back in June when we went to that fancy restaurant in Chicago? Remember how I ooed and ahhed over the green beans?

Well Adam and I had decided we wanted to make them for thanksgiving. Didn’t I tell you? we’re hosting thanksgiving this year!

Anyway as any good hostess knows you can’t serve something you haven’t tried. And I have Tried Tried Tried to find the recipe for that sauce. It was labeled fish sauce vinaigrette on the menu. I think I can figure out the sautéed green beans with cashews part…but it was that sauce that made the dish. So I’ve scoured the internet and found lots of people who have done their own “take” on Stephanie Izards dish.  But after reading their ingredients…I didn’t buy it. I even went as far as to email the restaurant explaining that I wanted to make this for my dying parents who were walking from Michigan for their one last thanksgiving meal and that I was in no way a chef trying to steal the recipe for my own monitary value…well maybe I didn't say all that, but I should have…they probably would have sent me the recipe!

But they didn’t. So I was stuck with the few hint from food critiques describing the dish, my own faint memory and the title; fish sauce vinaigrette.  I went to the store to buy this fish sauce stuff and was lucky I found it right away in the Asian section of Publix.  I also picked up the green beans and cashews (the two ingredients I KNOW I had right!)

Back at home I started small (small pan, small amounts…) I put in the fish sauce (must be the main component if it’s in the title) Then I added some butter and Dijon mustard and a little salt n pepper.

When I finally thought the consistency was right I tasted it.

WHOA!!!!!!!!!! SALT!!!!

So I tried again…with less salt.

Same result. Then I thought…maybe I should taste this fish sauce stuff. Sure enough it was like soy sauce on crack. Yikes!

I had pulled some other recipes off line that sounded similar (but had no way indicated they were inspired by Chef Izard) So after my first few fails I tried again.  Adam suggested some lime juice to cut salt so that was brought into the mix.  As was rice wine vinegar (you know to make a vinaigrette…)

Well after 3 or 4 MORE attempts and the rest of the meal waiting to be started I created something that wasn’t horrible. It was no where near what we had in Chicago and I’m not making it for thanksgiving, but it was edible.  Adam made a good point “I really can’t remember what it tasted like, I doubt Jonathan will and your parents never had it…so make something that’s good.  So that’s what I’ll do. I’m going to make the sautéed green beans with cashews, but the sauce is going to be how I remember it; a creamy tangy sweet Dijon sauce. Which by the way the internet has tons of recipes for.  Score.