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French white bean stew

These are guidelines more than a recipe, really. Adjust the spices / herbs as preferred, swap the red wine for tomato paste, swap the saucisson sec for mushrooms, etc.

Preheat the oven to 175C (350F). Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium, then add about 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil. Fry about ½ of a diced saucisson sec (casing removed) for about 3 minutes, then add 1 sliced onion and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Next, add 2 cloves of minced garlic, 8 crushed peppercorns, 2 T dried sage, 1 T fennel seed, 1 bay leaf, ½ T dried thyme, a pinch of cayenne, a pinch of ground cloves, and ½ T sea salt, then cook gently for about a minute. Add 1 stock cube, 500 g dried white beans, a glug of red wine, and 1 L water, then turn up the heat slightly. Once the stew is simmering, give it a good stir, take it off the stove and place it in the oven to continue cooking.

It will take a few hours, probably around 3–4 depending on the age of the beans. Check it every hour or so, giving it a good stir. When the beans seem like they’re nearly done, taste and adjust the flavours as needed. It might need some lemon juice, salt, a little more wine, or even a bit of sugar.

When done, stir in some rocket (arugula) or something similar if you want some green, then serve with crusty bread.

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Citrussy black beans with chipotle chiles

Makes a big pot of beans, enough for 6–8 people.

These are basic guidelines for a well-flavoured, medium-spicy pot of beans that take little hands-on time. This recipe doesn’t call for soaked beans since it isn’t necessary, but you could soak them to reduce the cooking time. Chipotles in adobo are smoked, dried chiles in a spicy tomato-based sauce. Adobo can be made at home and has a great flavour, so consider making a big batch of it for use at home if you can’t find it canned.

In a large heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pot, combine:

  • 500 g (1 lb) dried black beans
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 orange, topped and tailed then cut in to large chunks
  • 2 TBSP ground cumin
  • 1 ½ TBSP ground coriander
  • 1 can (about 7 oz or 200 g) chipotles in adobo
  • 1 tsp vegetable bouillon
  • 2 bay leaves
  • A good pinch of brown sugar
  • A solid pinch of salt

Add enough water to cover the beans by the width of about three fingers and give it a good stir. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, then place in a 175C (350F) oven or simmer on the stove over low heat for about 5 hours. The older the beans, the longer it will take to cook them.

Check about every hour, more frequently if simmering on the stove. Give it a good stir to ensure nothing is sticking, and taste the mixture to adjust the flavours and seasoning. Trust your gut; this is a big pot of beans, so it needs a good amount of salt and spices. Worthwhile additions might include a cinnamon stick, crushed garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice, epazote, and much more.

When done, remove the orange skins, bay leaves, and any other whole spices. If you prefer a thicker texture, mash some of the beans with a potato masher.

Serve with salsas, chopped coriander (cilantro), sour cream or yogurt, and rice.

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🌶🍅🥑🥭🍋

Cooked a big meal for friends this past weekend, will definitely make a bunch of these things again. Particularly polvorones! I hadn’t had those in years, since I was a kid. The asterisked items are things I hadn’t made before, I mostly referred to Saveur recipes for guidance on those. We had this with flour + corn tortillas from the shop and rice.

  • Mango salsa – frozen, thawed mango; minced red onion; minced jalapeño; lime juice; chopped coriander; salt
  • Chiltomate* – roasted, peeled roma tomatoes; roasted garlic; roasted habanero; salt
  • Pico de gallo – diced roma tomatoes; diced yellow onion; minced jalapeño; lime juice; chopped coriander; salt
  • Guacamole – mashed avocados; minced jalapeño; lemon juice; salt
  • Quick pickled red onions – finely sliced red onion; white wine vinegar; salt
  • Carnitas* – pork shoulder; bouillon; ground cumin; ground coriander; bay leaf; salt; ground black pepper
  • Black beans – dried black beans; chiles in adobo; bouillon; sliced onion; whole orange, cut in to chunks; bay leaves; toasted, ground cumin seed; toasted, ground coriander seed; salt
  • Polvorones* – pecans; white flour; cinnamon; butter; vanilla extract