White Beans With Chicory Recipes

WHITE BEANS WITH CHICORY

Steps:

• Combine the beans with 2 quarts water in a 4-quart pot and bring to a boil. Skim any foam, then add the onion, crushed garlic, bay leaf and salt to taste. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours, until the beans are very tender. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove and discard the onion, garlic cloves if desired, and bay leaf. Drain through a colander or strainer set over a bowl. Mash the beans with a potato masher and moisten with some of the cooking liquid. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. The purée should be loose.
• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the lettuce. Cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of cold water and drain. Squeeze out water and chop coarsely.
• Heat the remaining olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, cook for 30 seconds, and stir in the lettuce. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring, until the lettuce is nicely coated. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the mashed beans.

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

MIDDLE EASTERN WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• In a slow cooker combine the beans, tomato paste, pimento sauce, garlic, onions, cumin, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix until the beans are coated. Pour in beef broth, and top off with enough water to completely cover the beans.
• Cover, and cook on High for 6 hours, or until the beans are tender and the liquid is thickened. It should not be soupy.

GRATIN OF TURNIPS WITH CHICORY AND WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Place the beans in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the beans are tender, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, place the turnips in a medium-size saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until half-cooked, about 6 minutes. Drain the turnips and beans.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a medium-size gratin dish lightly with olive oil spray. Sprinkling each layer lightly with salt to taste, place half of the beans in an even layer in the bottom of the dish. Top with half of the chicory and then half of the turnips. Sprinkle with pepper to taste and half of the thyme. Repeat layers. Pour the chicken broth over the layers. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.