Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Working in two batches, blanch the green beans until they’re bright green and tender-crisp, about 1-2 minutes. Drain the green beans and transfer them to a casserole dish.

Step 2

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in the shallot, cooking for a couple minutes until tender. Whisk in the flour, and cook for a couple minutes until the mixture is golden brown. Slowly add in the wine, broth, soy sauce, and milk – separately, whisking after each addition (you’re building the sauce here so it’s good to pause and let things thicken before the next addition). For the final thickening of the sauce, bring to a simmer for a few minutes and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens enough to easily coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the garlic, salt, and gruyere cheese.

Step 3

Pour the sauce over the green beans. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover, and bake for another 15 minutes. Give the green beans a quick toss to get them nice and coated in the sauce. Wipe down the edges of the casserole dish. Then, top with fried onions and bake for another 5 minutes. Let stand for 5-10 minutes to let the sauce settle into all its silky-smooth glory.