Cranberry Bean Gratin Recipes

BACON AND CRANBERRY BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• Cook and stir olive oil and bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until bacon is fully cooked and begins to crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain off excess grease, leaving a teaspoon in the pan.
• Stir shallots and salt into the cooked bacon; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in beans, chicken broth, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the beans begin to swell, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Uncover and continue cooking bean and bacon mixture until the liquid reduces and beans are tender, 5 to 10 more minutes. Add rosemary, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. Adjust levels of salt and black pepper. Remove from heat, stir in extra-virgin olive oil, hot chile paste, and fresh herbs.

CRANBERRY BEAN GRATIN

Steps:

• Place beans in a large bowl and cover with 4 cups water; let soak overnight.
• Drain beans and transfer to a medium saucepan; cover with water by 2 inches. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat and skim foam from surface. Continue simmering beans until tender, 30 to 45 minutes, adding more water as necessary. Season beans with salt and set aside to cool in their liquid.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium, heavy-bottomed skillet heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery; cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and sage, and season with salt; let cook 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; cook 5 minutes more and remove from heat.
• Drain beans, reserving liquid. Transfer beans to skillet with vegetables; stir to combine. Pour bean mixture into a medium gratin or baking dish; season with salt. Add enough bean cooking liquid to almost cover. Drizzle with olive oil and top with toasted breadcrumbs.
• Transfer gratin dish to oven and bake for 40 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure the gratin has not dried out. If necessary spoon a little of the bean cooking liquid into the side of the gratin, to avoid wetting the breadcrumbs.

CRANBERRY BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• Sort and rinse cranberry beans. Place in a pot with water over medium-high heat; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 hour. Make sure beans are covered with water during the entire cooking process. Drain and set aside.
• Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add cucumber, red onion, and tomatoes; stir to combine. Gently fold in cooked cranberry beans. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

TOASTED BREADCRUMBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place bread cubes and salt in a food processor and process until coarse crumbs form. Spread crumbs on a rimmed baking sheet in a thin, even layer. Bake until golden brown, stirring, about 12 to 15 minutes.
• Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack to cool. Keep frozen, in an airtight container, up to 3 months.