Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a saucepan, combine the coconut milk, chicken stock, mushrooms, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, drain the cans of green beans and dump them into a medium casserole dish (see notes).
3. Once the contents in the saucepan have finished simmering, whisk in the cream cheese cubes until melted. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. In a separate bowl, whisk 1 Tbsp of tapioca starch into the water until it is dissolved. Increase the heat until you reach a boil again then whisk in the starch slurry. The mixture will thicken instantly then you can remove it from the heat. Note that allowing the starch to continue to heat will cause the mixture to become "gummy".
4. Pour the cream of mushroom soup you just made over the green beans and mix. Bake for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a pot (preferably a large diameter and deep enough to attach a candy thermometer to the side), add 1 1/2 inches of vegetable shortening. Alternatively, you can use a deep fryer and add fat according to the manufacturer’s specifications. Heat the pot of oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 360ºF.
6. While the oil heats up, combine the remaining 1/2 C tapioca starch with 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and the paprika. Make sure the bowl you combine it in is large enough to fit the entire onion (a Tupperware with a lid is what I always use!) Set aside.
7. Cut the onion in half and slice into half rings as thinly as possible. A mandolin will make quick work of this. Use your fingers to separate the onion pieces from each other then add to your starch mixture. Toss to coat (or if you have a lid for your bowl, just give it a good shake).
8. Use kitchen tongs to shake off the excess starch from the onion slices and add them to the hot oil. I was able to fry half an onion at a time but some pieces may stick together. Just try to keep them spread apart. Fry for 2 minutes then use the tongs to flip them to their other side (they will most likely be stuck together in a few pieces so flipping them isn't a tedious task by any means). Fry another 2 minutes on this other side or until they are golden brown. Move the cooked onions to a paper towel lined plate to cool.
9. Once the casserole comes out of the oven and the onions are cooled, break the onions apart from each other (or into smaller chunks) and sprinkle them over the green beans. Serve while fresh.