Crispy White Beans Recipes

CRISPY WHITE BEANS WITH CHILI OIL

Steps:

• In a bowl, let the beans soak in the buttermilk for a few minutes, then drain in a sieve. Place the sieve over a bowl.
• Heat 3/4 cup olive oil and the chili oil in a 10-inch skillet over high heat. While the oil is heating, sprinkle the coating over the beans and shake in the sieve to coat the beans well. Repeat with the coating that falls into the bowl. Don't worry if they don't absorb all the coating.
• Carefully add the beans to the hot oil, spread them into an even layer, and cook without stirring until they are browned and crisp on the bottom, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn with a spatula and brown on the other side, another 5 to 6 minutes, adjusting the heat so they don't burn. When they are evenly browned, add sliced garlic and brown for another 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chiles to the pan, and continue to fry for another 15 seconds before adding the sage. With a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to paper towels to drain. Saute until the leaves turn crisp, about 1 minute. Top with lemon zest, then remove from the heat.
• Chef's Notes:
• The Arborio Rice Coating is by far the best coating I know for anything fried. It gives an especially crisp crust to fried fish fillets, squid, shrimp, eggplant and veal cutlets. You may as well make a lot because it keeps well in the freezer, and it's hard to grind less than 1 cup of rice in a blender. If you have a spice mill, you can halve the recipe.
• Arborio Rice Coating is one of the few places I use table salt. Sea salt and kosher salt are too heavy to stay evenly distributed in the coating.
• Bringing the beans up to a simmer slowly helps keep the skins from splitting.
• Arborio Rice Coating:
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup semolina
• 2 tablespoons table salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Grind the rice in a blender until very fine. Put it in a bowl and add the all-purpose flour, semolina, salt and pepper. Toss until well blended. Store in a sealed container in the freezer for maximum freshness.
• Yield: about 5 cups

CRISPY WHITE BEANS WITH GARLIC AND HERBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread beans on a tray lined with paper towels; pat dry.
• For garlic oil: In a small saucepan warm olive oil and garlic over medium-low 10 to 12 minutes or until simmering and aromatic and garlic starts to brown. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon; discard.
• In a medium bowl combine beans, rosemary, salt and pepper. Toss with garlic oil. Arrange beans in a single layer in a 15x10-inch baking pan. Roast 35 minutes or until browned and crisp, stirring once.
• Spread beans on a piece of foil. Sprinkle with oregano. Let cool completely before serving. Serves 10.

CREAMY WHITE BEANS WITH HERB OIL

Steps:

• Make the oil: In a food processor, combine chives, cilantro and basil, and pulse until finely chopped. Add olive oil, and pulse again until mixture is silky and emulsified. Transfer to a small bowl, stir in lemon juice and salt to taste. Set aside.
• Prepare the beans: In a 10-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook until translucent, about 1 minute. Add beans to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded, about 2 to 3 minutes. With the back of a spoon or spatula, smash about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the beans and stir until they are incorporated into the rest of the bean mixture. A good portion of the remaining beans should maintain their structure.
• Add stock or water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until sauce becomes creamy and is reduced by about about half, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Smash additional beans and add a few more tablespoons of water, if needed, to reach desired consistency and stir again to combined.
• Transfer beans to a bowl and swirl with herb oil on top. Season with flaky salt, if desired.

CREAMY BRAISED WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, cut side down, and cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the milk, chickpeas and their liquid, white beans, thyme and nutmeg and stir to combine. Season generously with salt and pepper. When the mixture begins to bubble around the edges of the pan (you don't want it to come to a full boil), reduce the heat to low and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened and tastes great to you, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Use a fork to remove the garlic halves from the beans. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then use the fork to remove the cloves from the skins. Spread the cloves on bread or toast.
• If you would like the beans to be more stew-like, mash some of the beans using a potato masher or the back of a spoon. Serve beans and milk in bowls. Garnish as you wish, with a drizzle of oil, a sprinkle of Parmesan and a pinch of Aleppo pepper and black pepper. Serve with the bread alongside for dipping.

CRISPY WHITE BEANS WITH CHILI OIL

Steps:

• RICE COATING: Grind the rice in a blender until very fine. Put it in a bowl and add the all-purpose flour, semolina, salt and pepper.
• Toss until well blended and set aside 1 cup of coating for this recipe. Store the remainder in a sealed container in the freezer for maximum freshness.
• In a bowl, let the beans soak in the buttermilk for a few minutes, then drain in a sieve. Place the sieve over a bowl.
• Heat 3/4 cup olive oil and the chili oil in a 10-inch skillet over high heat. While the oil is heating, sprinkle the coating over the beans and shake in the sieve to coat the beans well. Repeat with the coating that falls into the bowl. Don't worry if they don't absorb all the coating.
• Carefully add the beans to the hot oil, spread them into an even layer, and cook without stirring until they are browned and crisp on the bottom, 6 to 7 minutes.
• Turn with a spatula and brown on the other side, another 5 to 6 minutes, adjusting the heat so they don't burn. When they are evenly browned, add sliced garlic and brown for another 3 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chiles to the pan, and continue to fry for another 15 seconds before adding the sage.
• With a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to paper towels to drain.
• Sauté until the leaves turn crisp, about 1 minute. Top with lemon zest, then remove from the heat.

CRISPY WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• First, rinse your beans in a strainer. Tip them onto a clean dish towel and bring the edges up over the top to pat them dry. Really dry. (Let them air dry a bit if you have time and it isn't a hangry meltdown emergency.) Then pick them up in the towel and tip the beans onto an unlined, rimmed baking sheet. Crank your oven to 425°F and let it really get there.
• Toss your beans in some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add a couple of crushed garlic cloves if you want, or some crushed red pepper flakes, or a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, oregano, or thyme, or some lemon zest, or all of the above.
• Then pop the pan in the oven and roast, stirring once halfway through, until the beans are golden-brown and crisp, about half an hour. And that's it.
• Now, scatter your crispy white beans over roasted vegetables or a salad, eat them with a roast chicken, or however your heart desires. But don't leave them out on the counter in a high-traffic area-each person who walks by will grab a bean or two, and then keep coming back for more-and that's how I almost didn't have enough crispy white beans left to put in front of the camera for the photo you see above.