Borlotti Beans

There was a time in my life when, in my Hedonistic response to prior poverty, that I rarely ate beans. I even asked they be omitted from my burritos at Taquerias. Ridiculous, I know. But let's be fair. Years of Lentils every day, refried beans on tortillas, and even bean spread sandwiches? It's the same type of aversion one has to Vodka after a blood poisoning bender. Beans were the main ingredient (often the ONLY ingredient) in every day life for so long, they just lost their appeal.

However, I have since rediscovered the bean. When used with the sensibility of a finer palate, (rather than the one that used stolen Taco Bell sauces to vamp up their flavour), beans take an entirely diverse and splendid role in cuisine.

For the next few weeks, I will be focusing my posts on the elegant bean. From hearty stews, to light sandwiches and salads, beans will take a centrifuge role in a series that I have coined:

The Poor Food Movement.

For the first installment, I am sharing a simple recipe that celebrates the bean as a dish unto itself.

Borlotti beans

1 cup dried Borlotti beans

2 oz Pancetta, diced

1 onion, quartered

1 Bay leaf

3 or 4 whole cloves of garlic

7 cups water, or broth of choice

olive oil

sea salt

sprig of rosemary

Soak beans overnight. Rinse and drain and set aside. In a medium sauce pan, cook pancetta until beginning to crisp, and fat is rendered. Add onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes. Add beans, water or broth, Bay leaf, some olive oil, and sea salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about two hours, until beans are tender. During the last 30 minutes, add rosemary. When tender, remove onion, rosemary, and garlic. Mash about 1/3 of the beans and adjust salt to taste.

This is great over Ciabatta toasts, served alone, as a side dish, or when doubled, as a requisite to tomorrow's post, Tuscan Country Bean Soup.

French Onion Soup

Lately, I have been contemplating French Onion Soup. This is not a dish I consider lightly. I have tried every worthy seeming recipe I can find, played with many styles (including vegetarian), and have decided that frankly, the classic version as interpreted by me, is hands down the best and only way. That sound pompous, to be sure, so try it.

I first fell in love with French Onion Soup back in the late 80's. There is this little French Bistro here called Cafe Du Berry. I used to go there for lunch when I worked at OPB across the street. I loved their French Onion Soup. I haven't been there in 20 years and I've often thought of going back. I think instead, I wish to keep the memory (that showed itself to be the seminal moment in soup appreciation for me), unchanged.

The most important elements in this soup are beef stock and yellow onions.  These are the two ingredients in which there can be no deviation. When you do, the soup is significantly inferior.

Now, there are two approaches to this soup. One is to use purchased broth. I will entertain this, as I use it when I have the craving, and making my own doesn't fit the time schedule. The other, is to make your own stock. This is my preferred method, as I enjoy extracting flavour from the morrow of the bones. However, with a little doctoring, purchased broth can be excellent too.

Here are the recipes for the stock:

2 quarts beef broth (Pacific is good)

2 cups water

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1 T. beef base (recommend Superior Touch)

Next, the homemade variety. Remember, you should make this in advance, portion and freeze. That way, you almost always have it on hand. Makes 1/2 gallon to 3/4 gallon.

7 to 8 lbs. beef bones (shank, short ribs, oxtail)

2 onions, quartered, skins on

2 stalks celery, chopped coarse

2 carrots, chopped coarse

several whole peppercorns

6 cloves garlic, halved, skins on

4 bay leaves

small handful fresh thyme sprigs

1 1/2 gallons water

sea salt

Note: You may still want to add the concentrated beef base in this version as well. It depends on how meaty your stock turns out. My most recent batch needed a little kick in this way. I served it first without and was not the only one disappointed. This stock needs to be rich and beefy.

Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F. Roast bones for 1 hour. Add vegetables and roast 30 minutes additional. Pour off any excess fat. Transfer to a large stock pot. Add seasonings, herbs, water, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, and immediately reduce heat and simmer for about 4 hours, occasionally skimming fat. Be careful to ensure that you do not continue to boil, or you will lose too much volume and "burn" the flavour. Strain, discarding the solids. Allow to cool at room temperature, uncovered. Cover, and refrigerate over night. Remove any fat that has separated on top, portion and store the extra broth for another time and use.

For the soup (serves 4 to 6)

4 T. unsalted butter

5 lbs yellow onions, sliced 1/8" thick

2 1/2 quarts of homemade stock or purchased recipe

1 cup dry white wine

2 T. cognac (you may substitute with brandy or sherry if necessary)

sea salt

1 clove garlic, peeled and halved

olive oil

good Artisan bread (a French Batard or Como style is great)

cave aged gruyere cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup per serving)

Using 2 large Dutch Ovens or Sauté pans, divide butter and melt. Add onions between two pans and cover, cooking slowly until translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove lids, add about 1/4 tsp sea salt to each and brown, stirring frequently until dark, 45 minutes to 1 hour. I do not recommend the oven method of browning onions. I find the flavour is not as nuanced. 

Meanwhile, in a large pot bring stock to a simmer until reduced to 2 quarts, about 45 minutes. If using purchased recipe, strain and return broth to pan. Add wine and cognac and continue simmering 45 minutes. Add onions and simmer 20 minutes longer.

During the time the onions are simmering in the broth, place bread slices, brushed with olive oil on a rack and bake in an oven preheated to 400 degrees F for 15 minutes, turning over 1/2 way. Rub with garlic clove.

Lay bread over soup in oven safe bowls and add cheese.  Place bowls on a sheet pan and broil in upper third of oven until cheese is beginning to brown and serve immediately.

Try this with a Pinot Gris or, for something a little more exciting and playful, I like it with champagne.

Recently, I served this for some friends with a Domaine De Martinolles-Blanquette De Limoux, Le Berceau. This Brut is an excellent value and I found it particularly delicious when paired in contrast to the umami of the soup. 

Jota

The History of Pork and Beans is a convoluted series of American plume waving that gets mixed up into the very colonization of North America. Van Camp's began commercializing Pork and Beans in the 1880s in response to having received a contract with the U.S. Army during The American Civil War. Frank Van Camp, the son who went on to found Van Camp's Seafood, then added his own creation, Catsup, (about 100 years after the Chinese began trading it). The recipe, which was very popular, came from traditional European cuisine. It was even the main dish served at the first Thanksgiving feast that Native Americans in Florida shared with the Spanish Moors, who landed there in 1513. That's 108 years before the feast of Wampanoag in 1621, where The Pilgrims mythically held the original Thanksgiving feast, celebrating their first successful crops. Incidentally, these same black Spanish Moors went on to visit the Mississippi River, travel on foot from Florida to The Gulf Of California, and sail up the coast of Oregon some 267 years prior to the escapades of everyone's favourite Fourth Grade History topic, Lewis and Clark. 

But I digress...

The ingredients? Garbanzo Beans, Pork, and Black Pepper.

It's difficult to place the exact origin of Pork and Beans, as its timeline of introduction to diet ranges from around 6500 B.C. to 7000 B.C.  It is found throughout Europe in many variations. Today, I present to you one of my favorites, a rather Scandinavian influenced Northern Italian dish called,

"Jota."  - Friulian bean and sauerkraut soup.

Sauerkraut originated in China circa 200 B.C.  It was used to supplement the diets of workers who built The Great Wall and who subsisted mainly on rice.  It was also originally made with rice wine.  The introduction of sauerkraut to Europe is accredited to Genghis Kahn when he used it to nourish his troops on his raids into Eastern Europe during the 13th century.

The play of flavours in this dish are amazing.  Warm and comforting while at the same time lively and rhythmic.  

Jota

1 Lb. Barlotti Beans dried, rinsed soaked and drained

1 Lb. Pork Shoulder, cubed

1 small Onion, minced

3 cloves Garlic, minced

2 cups Italian Parsley, chopped

Sage Leaves to taste, about 3 or 4

1 T. Olive Oil

1 T. flour

1 T. Butter 

2-3 Tbsps. course Polenta (Corn Grits)

4 oz. Pancetta, sliced 1/4 " strips

2 cups quality Sauerkraut (I highly recommend Pickled Planet) 

Sea Salt, to taste

Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

Place beans and pork in a large saucepan with 2 quarts of cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, skimming any foam until beans are just tender, about an hour.  Add water if necessary during this to keep the beans immersed. Cover and set aside.

In a small skillet, heat olive oil and butter. Add flour, stirring for a few seconds. Add onion, garlic, parsley and sage and cook until beginning to soften. Add polenta and combine for a couple of minutes. Stir mixture into beans.

Return pan to heat and cook pancetta until just beginning to crisp.  Add to beans.

Stir sauerkraut into beans and return to heat.  Season with sea salt and pepper and simmer 30 minutes or until beans are tender.  

I recommend a good Alsace with this.  Specifically, Domaine du Barmés Buecher Muscat Ottonel 2004. This wine is intensely floral (jasmine, honeysuckle) in the nose with a good mineral mouth and a complex finish of sweet and dry. A very contemplative wine that plays beautifully with this dish of similarly contrasting character.

This soup makes for a lovely 1st course for 12 in an unconventional feast, in honour of the real 1st Thanksgiving.  Or serves 6 generously as a main course anytime you want a delicious soup that will not bore you.