Beans and Mushrooms
Instructions:
The earthy flavors of beans and mushrooms complement
each other perfectly; use dried or fresh mushrooms, in
virtually any combination. You might also garnish the
dish with Sautéed Mushrooms , using shiitakes
if you can and getting ’em nice and crisp.
Other beans you can use: any white or pink beans or
green or brown lentils.
8 ounces dried pink or cranberry beans, washed,
picked over, and soaked if you have time
2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms, or more if
you like
1 medium onion, unpeeled
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic, or more to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves, or dried
sage
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or melted butter
MAKES: 4 servings
TIME: 1 to 21/2 hours, depending on the bean
- Put the beans in a large pot with water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, soak the mushrooms in hot water to cover. Cut a slit in the onion, insert the bay leaf, and put the onion in the pot. Adjust the heat so that the mixture bubbles gently; cover partially and cook, stirring occasionally.
- When the mushrooms are soft, drain them, reserving the liquid. Squeeze them dry, trim away any hard spots, and chop them. When the beans begin to soften (anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the type of bean and whether you soaked the beans), sprinkle with lots of salt and pepper and stir in the reserved mushroom-soaking liquid. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender but still intact (about as long as it took them to begin to soften). Add the mushrooms and cook for 10 to 15 minutes more.
- Remove the onion. Taste and adjust the seasoning. About 3 minutes before serving, add the garlic, sage, and olive oil or butter, stir, and serve.
- Beans with Shiitakes.
- The shiitakes add complexity: Replace the dried porcini with about 8 ounces fresh shiitakes, stems removed. Substitute rosemary or thyme for the sage.
- Flageolets with Morels.
- Quite fancy and nice; dried or fresh morels are good here, as is a touch of cream added at the end: Use flageolets and morels instead of the cranberry beans and porcini. If you’re using fresh morels, use about 8 ounces, cleaned and halved, skip Step 2, and use Mushroom Stock to replace the mushroom-soaking liquid in Step 2. Replace the sage with tarragon or chervil and use the melted butter instead of the olive oil.