Flageolets Verts À La Bretonne Recipes

FRENCH FLAGEOLET BEANS

Steps:

• The night before cooking, place the beans in a large bowl and cover them with water by 1 inch. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Drain the beans, rinse well, and drain again. In a large ovenproof pot such as Le Creuset, heat the olive oil over medium to medium-low heat, add the bacon, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the bacon starts to brown. Add the onion, fennel, and carrots and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften but aren't browned. Add the garlic and saute for 1 to 2 more minutes.
• Add the flageolets to the pot and stir in the broth, bay leaves, and rosemary. (Don't be tempted to add salt! The beans will become tough.) Add 2 cups of water, which should just cover the beans, and bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Cover the pot tightly and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the lid, stir in 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, and return the pot to the oven without the lid. Raise the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 45 more minutes. The beans will be very tender and there will be just a little liquid in the bottom of the pan. (If the beans are dry, add a little more water.) Discard the bay leaves and rosemary. Taste for seasonings and serve hot.

GRATIN OF FLAGEOLET BEANS

Steps:

• Warm the olive oil over medium heat in a large noncorrodible pot (glass, ceramic, stainless steel or enameled iron). Add the diced carrot, celery and onion along with the garlic and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the thyme, diced tomatoes, prosciutto hock, beans and the broth or water. Salt to taste. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, adding water if the bean mixture becomes too thick. Remove the cover, raise the heat slightly and cook for another 30 minutes, reducing the liquid until it is at the same level as the beans. When stirred, the beans should have the consistency of a thick sauce.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the prosciutto hock and thyme sprigs from the pot. Remove the rind from the prosciutto, chop the ham into coarse pieces and add them to the beans. Stir in about half of the parsley.
• Pour the beans into a baking dish. Mix the bread crumbs with the remaining parsley and the extra-virgin olive oil and Parmesan cheese, and spread this over the beans in an even layer. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the edges bubble and the top is evenly browned.

FLAGEOLETS WITH AUTUMN GREENS AND FRESH BACON

Steps:

• Pack the fresh bacon in the salt and sugar mixture, cover, and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Rinse and pat dry, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
• Combine the bacon, beans, carrot, onion, garlic, apricots, bay leaves, and chile in a pressure cooker and add cold water to come an inch above the beans. Fit the pressure cooker with the lid and raise the temperature to high until it starts to whistle. Reduce to the lowest setting and cook until the beans are creamy and cooked through, roughly 25 minutes. Remove the lid and adjust the seasoning with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Alternately, bring the ingredients to a boil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and immediately reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, covered, until the beans are thoroughly cooked through and creamy, roughly 1 3/4 hours.
• Remove the large aromatic vegetables, garlic, chile, and bay leaves from the pot and discard. They've done their flavoring job. Coarsely chop the greens or tear with your hands, then fold them into the beans. Simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the greens are tender.
• Serve with warm crusty bread and a healthy dose of olive oil.