White Beans And Saffron Recipes

WHITE BEAN FISH STEW

Steps:

• For the fish stock: Heat a large pot over medium heat and coat with the oil. Add the celery, fennel and onions, and season with salt and crushed red pepper. Cook until soft and very aromatic, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the fish bones, stir, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the white wine and reduce by half.
• Add enough cold water to the pot to cover the fish bones by 2 inches, about 10 cups. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Toss in the bay leaves and thyme bundle. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid.
• For the stew: Coat a Dutch oven with olive oil. Add the celery, fennel, onions, crushed red pepper and salt to taste. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables start to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Add the cannellini beans, tomatoes, fish stock and saffron. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes. Add salt to taste.
• Meanwhile, heat a saute pan over medium-high heat and coat with olive oil. Pat the cod cheeks dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Add the cod to the hot pan and cook until golden and crisp on both sides and three-quarters of the way cooked through. Remove the fish from the pan and reserve. Repeat with the shrimp and calamari.
• Add the cod, shrimp, calamari and mussels to the simmering fish broth. Turn off the heat and cover, letting the fish gently cook through and the mussels open up, about 3 minutes. Discard any mussels that don't open.
• To serve, evenly distribute the seafood and vegetables in bowls and top with fish broth. Drizzle with finishing oil, sprinkle with fennel pollen, and top with reserved fennel fronds. Serve with crusty grilled bread.

WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Cook coarse-chopped slab bacon in olive oil just until fat is rendered. Add chopped onion and fresh thyme; cook until onions are soft, then add cooked white beans and enough stock to moisten. Cook until flavors blend and stock is reduced (it shouldn't be soupy). Garnish: Parsley.

WHITE BEANS WITH CLAMS

Steps:

• Soak the beans overnight. The following day, drain them and cover with cold water. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, parsley sprigs and bay leaves. Bring to boil, add one cup cold water to cut the boil, then return to a boil, cover and simmer very slowly one-and-a-half to two hours, or until beans are tender.
• When the beans are almost tender, start preparing the clams. Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is wilted. Add the clams and cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until they open. Sprinkle in the paprika and the parsley. Add the wine, chili pepper, salt (if necessary), and pepper. Cook 5 minutes more.
• Stir saffron and salt into the beans, add clams with all liquid in the pan. Shake to mix in clams and liquid. Cover and cook for five minutes.
• Serve the beans in soup bowls with the clams arranged on top.

WHITE BEAN AND HALIBUT STEW

Steps:

• Sauté bacon and shallots in large pot over medium-high heat until bacon is crisp, about 7 minutes. Add olive oil and garlic; stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice, clam juice, wine, and saffron; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Add beans and fish; bring to simmer. Cover; simmer until fish is just opaque in center, about 5 minutes. Season stew to taste with salt and pepper.

SAFFRON FISH STEW WITH WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add onion, fennel, coriander, garlic, and thyme sprig; sauté 5 minutes.
• Stir in rind and saffron; add water, clam juice and tomatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
• Stir in salt, fish and beans; cook 5 minutes. Top with thyme leaves.