Humble Home-Cooked Beans

Submitted by Kozmic Blues

"I don't think I'll ever buy white beans in a can again. I LOVE the flavor in this recipe!! FromJamie Oliver's show: Jamie at Home. Nice to see a bean recipe, cooked from scratch, with OUT using bacon, salt pork or pancetta in the base :) This makes a wonderful side dish to a Mediteranean meal, or served as bruscetta over toasted garlic bread."

 

• Ready In: 13hrs
• Ingredients: 11
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 11 ounces dried cannellini beans, soaked in cold water for at least 12 hours
• 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 stick celery, trimmed
• 1 small potato, peeled and halved
• 2 cherry tomatoes
• extra virgin olive oil, for topping
• 1 -2 tablespoon red wine vinegar, for topping
• 4 slices sourdough bread, for serving

directions

1. Drain the soaked beans, then give them a good wash.
2. Place them in a deep pot and cover them with cold water.
3. Throw in the garlic, herb sprigs, bay leaves, celery stick, potato and tomatoes.
4. Place the beans on the heat and slowly bring to the boil.
5. Cover with a lid and simmer very gently for 45 minutes to an hour, until soft and cooked nicely. Skim if necessary, topping up with boiling water from the kettle if you need to.
6. When the beans are cooked, drain them in a colander, reserving enough of the cooking water to cover them halfway up when put back in the pot.
7. Remove the garlic, herbs, celery, potato and tomatoes from the beans. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins and pinch the skin off the tomatoes.
8. Put the garlic, tomatoes and potato onto a plate, mash them with a fork and stir back into the beans.
9. Season well with salt and pepper, and pour in up to 3 TBSP of extra-virgin olive oil and a few splashes of vinegar.
10. Stir in the parsley and serve on some toasted sourdough bread.