Beans cooked and served simply seasoned—like the cannellini beans in the previous recipe with garlic and rosemary—is only one of a great many bean dishes—soups, gratins, purées, and more—that are tastier when their primary flavoring comes after an initial cooking. I sometimes add garlic or herbs or even a bit of onion while the beans are cooking the first time, but I find that good flavor is most prominent when it’s added after the primary cooking. Added flavor can mean anything from a dash of olive oil to a complex tomato sauce, depending on the dish. For example, in the classic Italian dish called fagioli all’uccelletto (which means beans seasoned like a small bird), the cooked beans are simmered in a garlicky tomato sauce with plenty of sage. An example from Mexican cuisine is frijoles refritos, beans which, after an initial cooking, are fried in lard with garlic and sautéed onions, and then mashed. (There are exceptions to every rule, and one that comes immediately to mind is that when something like a ham hock or a prosciutto bone is used to flavor beans, it can be added at the beginning to cook slowly with the beans throughout their cooking.) The beans should be drained of most of their liquid before final flavorings are added. (Save the bean water to make a tasty soup base or to moisten a gratin as it cooks.) Once the beans are ready, stir in the flavorings. Continue to cook them together for at least 10 minutes or so, to allow the flavors to infuse the beans. To make gratins like the one that follows, first sauté onions, carrots, and celery together. To make sure they contribute their full flavor, season the vegetables to taste before adding them to the beans. Beans are very lean and the addition of a flavorful oil or fat makes them taste even better.

　　

Ingredients

6 servings

　　1 1/4 cups cranberry or borlotti beans

　　Salt

　　1/2 onion (about 1/4 cup diced)

　　1 small peeled carrot (about 1/4 cup diced)

　　1 small celery stalk (about 1/4 cup diced)

　　1/4 cup olive oil

　　4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

　　6 fresh sage leaves, chopped

　　Salt

　　1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned organic

　　1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

　　1/2 cup Toasted Breadcrumbs (page 63)

　　

Step 1

Soak overnight in 4 cups water: 1 1/4 cups cranberry or borlotti beans.

　　

Step 2

Drain and cover with fresh water by 2 inches in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and skim off any foam. Simmer gently for 2 hours or so until the beans are tender. Add more water if necessary during the cooking.

　　

Step 3

Season to taste with: Salt.

　　

Step 4

Set the beans aside to cool in their liquid. Meanwhile finely dice: 1/2 onion (about 1/4 cup diced), 1 small peeled carrot (about 1/4 cup diced), 1 small celery stalk (about 1/4 cup diced).

　　

Step 5

Heat in a heavy-bottomed pan: 1/4 cup olive oil.

　　

Step 6

Add the diced vegetables and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add: 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, 6 fresh sage leaves, chopped, Salt.

　　

Step 7

Cook for 5 minutes and then stir in: 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned organic.

　　

Step 8

Cook for 5 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.

　　

Step 9

Drain the beans, reserving the liquid. Mix the beans with the vegetables and put into a medium-size gratin or baking dish. Taste for salt. Add enough bean liquid to almost cover. Drizzle with: 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil.

　　

Step 10

Cover with: 1/2 cup Toasted Breadcrumbs (page 63).

　　

Step 11

Bake for 40 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven, checking occasionally. If the gratin is drying out, carefully spoon in a little bean liquid (pouring at the sides of the gratin dish to avoid getting the crumbs wet).

　　

Variations

Step 12

Fresh shell beans make an even tastier gratin. Shell 3 pounds fresh cranberry beans. Cover them with water to a depth of about an inch, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and start checking for doneness after about 20 minutes.

　　

Step 13

You don’t have to turn the beans into a gratin. Simply cook the beans together with the tomatoes and vegetables for 10 minutes before serving.

　　

Step 14

Other herbs can be substituted for sage: try about 1/2 tablespoon of the finely chopped leaves of rosemary, thyme, summer or winter savory, marjoram, parsley, or oregano.

　　The Art of Simple Food