Beans Marbella Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S SANTA MARIA-STYLE BEANS

Steps:

• Place pink beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours to overnight. Drain.
• Place drained beans in a stockpot with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook until almost completely tender, about 1 hour 45 minutes.
• While beans are simmering, cook and stir bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until cooked through but not crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Add ham; cook and stir until ham is heated through, about 1 minute. Stir garlic into ham mixture and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add tomatoes, 1/2 cup water, ketchup, sugar, dry mustard, paprika, chili powder, salt, chipotle chile powder, and oregano. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook until flavors blend, about 30 minutes.
• Drain beans, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Combine beans, reserved liquid, and tomato mixture in the beans stockpot; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender and mixture has thickened, about 30 minutes.

BEANS MARBELLA

Steps:

• Start the beans: Rinse the beans then add them to a large, heavy pot and cover with enough cool water to generously immerse (about 12 cups). Add ¼ cup olive oil, the bay leaves, oregano and 1 teaspoon salt, then bring to a boil over high heat. Once the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are very tender, 1½ to 2 hours. Add extra water by the cupful as needed to keep the beans immersed.
• Prepare the potatoes: Heat the oven to 375 degrees. On a large sheet pan, toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil; season generously with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast, stirring once about halfway through, until the potatoes are golden-brown and tender, about 30 minutes. Set aside.
• Finish the beans: In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and sauté until soft and fragrant. As soon as the edges of the garlic start to color, add the red wine and simmer until the wine is reduced by half, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked beans (you should have about 7 cups) to the reduced wine in the skillet, then add about 2 cups of their cooking liquid - you want just enough to mostly cover the beans. Add the olives, prunes and another ¼ cup olive oil, and simmer over medium, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld and the liquid thickens slightly to form a sauce, 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Finish the potatoes: In a medium bowl, combine the minced shallot with the red wine vinegar. Add the potatoes, capers and parsley, and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Tip the potatoes on top of the beans, drizzle with olive oil and serve.

MARILYN'S GREEN BEANS ITALIANO

Steps:

• Place the green beans in a saucepan with a lid and pour enough water over the beans to cover; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover; simmer until the beans are tender but still crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain. Spread the beans onto paper towels to dry.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat; stir the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese into the melted butter. Reduce heat to low; add the beans and cook and stir until the beans are heated through and the crumbs are beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the parsley over the mixture to serve.