Bean And Olive Puree Recipes

WHITE BEAN PUREE, RADICCHIO, AND RED ONIONS

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and gently cook the onion until it's soft but not colored. Add the beans, garlic, chicken stock or water, and salt and pepper. Cook for 4 minutes.
• Process the beans and their cooking liquid in a blender or food processor with the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil and lemon juice, leaving the mixture slightly chunky. Taste and adjust the seasoning to taste.
• Halve each radicchio. Then thickly slice each radicchio into circles or cut each half into 4 sections, trimming and discarding the base and a little of the white heart from each section.
• Halve the onions and trim the base of each. Cut each half lengthwise into crescent moon-shaped wedges, each about 3/4 inches wide at its thickest part. (Or just slice them horizontally, if you prefer.)
• Mix the olive oil, balsamic, and seasoning together in a dish. Put the onions in a bowl and the radicchio in another bowl then drizzle both with dressing. Gently turn to coat and let sit for about 10 minutes.
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat until really hot but not smoking. Cook the onions quickly until well colored on all sides, turning once or more. Reduce the heat to low and let the onions cook, turning frequently, until softened, maybe 2 minutes or so.
• Meanwhile, spoon the white bean puree into a serving dish, reheating it gently first if you want to. The puree can also be served at room temperature.
• Increase the heat under the onions to medium-high, add the radicchio to the skillet, and cook just until the radicchio is wilted and colored on each side-this will happen very quickly, say, 45 seconds or so. Pile the radicchio and onions on top of the white bean puree. Season with salt and black pepper, and serve with a little oil drizzled over the top.

WHITE BEAN PURéE

Steps:

• 1. Soak the beans overnight. Or place beans in a pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat; remove from heat and set aside, covered, for 1 hour.
• 2. Drain the beans; transfer to a 2-quart pot with the diced onion, celery, carrot, smashed garlic, bay leaf, thyme sprigs, 5 cups of broth, salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat; simmer until beans are very tender, about 90 minutes. If the mixture becomes dry, add some of the remaining broth.
• 3. Drain the beans; discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Warm the beans in a pan over medium heat. Add the cream, thyme leaves, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Let simmer. Cook until the cream is reduced and is almost dry on the beans, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• 4. Puree the beans in a food processor, adding a few drops of oil. Adjust seasonings.

WHITE BEAN PUREE

Steps:

• A day ahead, rinse the beans and pick them over, discarding any broken or discolored ones. Cover them with water and soak them overnight at room temperature.
• On the day of serving, drain and change the water. Bring the beans to a boil, drain them and cover them with fresh water. Add the remaining ingredients, except the chicken stock, olive oil and thyme and simmer the beans until tender (one to two hours), stirring occasionally. Add more water if the beans start to get dry.
• Place half the beans in a food processor. Add half a cup of the chicken stock. Puree the beans and correct seasoning. Repeat with the remaining beans and chicken stock.
• Pour the puree into a serving dish and swirl the oil in on top. Garnish with a few leaves of fresh thyme.

WHITE BEAN PURéE WITH GARLIC VINAIGRETTE AND CROUTES

Steps:

• Make dressing:
• Blanch garlic in a small saucepan of boiling water 3 minutes, then drain and finely chop. Transfer garlic to a bowl and whisk in mustard and vinegar. Add 3 tablespoons oil in a stream, whisking until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
• Make bean purée:
• Soak beans in water to cover by 2 inches in a large bowl at least 8 hours, then drain. Simmer beans with thyme in fresh water to cover by 2 inches in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan, partially covered, until very tender, about 1 1/4 hours (some beans will fall apart). Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid and drain beans, discarding thyme.
• Crumble bread into a large bowl and stir in cream. Force beans through food mill into moistened bread, then stir in oil. Add reserved cooking liquid 1 tablespoon at a time for a spreadable consistency. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Serve warm with vinaigrette spooned over purée.

GRILLED TUNA WITH WHITE BEAN PUREE, OLIVE TAPENADE AND ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lay out cherry vine tomatoes in a single layer on a roasting tray. Drizzle with orange chili oil and roast in the oven for 8 to10 minutes until tomatoes are slightly burst and have given off their juices. Set aside.
• Add tapenade ingredients to a food processor and process to a coarse puree. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and set aside.
• In a saucepan add a 2 count of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and anchovies and sweat for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the beans followed by the warm chicken stock and cook until heated through. Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and puree with a splash of white vinegar, salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Thin with extra stock if the puree is too thick. Give it a final taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Set aside and keep warm until ready to serve.
• Now prepare the tuna. Heat a large cast iron griddle pan over high heat. Drizzle the tuna with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the hot grill for about 45 seconds and then turn over and do the same. The tuna should be rare on the inside and have nice grill marks on the outside.
• To serve, smear a spoonful of the white bean puree on the bottom of a plate. Top with a the tuna and a spoonful of tapenade over the top. Set a cluster of the roasted tomatoes over the top and drizzle the juices from the pan all around the plate. Garnish with fresh arugula leaves.
• Make the chili oil by adding the thyme, rosemary, chili flakes and orange peel to the oil. Put aside and let it sit for at least 1 hour to let the flavors infuse.