Total Time

　　20 minutes

　　This quick cassoulet-inspired gratin uses ham and cannellini beans instead of the duck, sausage, and traditional flageolets. The idea is to pull together a quick braise, top it with crisp bread crumbs, run it under the broiler, and serve. 

　　Variation: For an excellently smoky (and not at all traditional) fish version, use 8 ounces smoked salmon (first choice is the flaky hot-smoked kind, though lox is fine too) or smoked trout or whitefish instead of the ham. Instead of the tarragon, chop ¼ cup fresh dill.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　¼ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling

　　1 medium red onion

　　2 cloves garlic

　　8 ounces boneless ham steak or other thickly cut ham

　　3½ cups cooked or canned cannellini beans (two 15-ounce cans)

　　1 lemon

　　1 or 2 sprigs fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried herbes de Provence

　　¼ cup white wine or water

　　Salt and pepper

　　½ cup bread crumbs

　　

Step 1

Turn the broiler to high; put the rack 6 inches from the heat. Put ¼ cup olive oil in a large broiler-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Trim, peel, halve, and slice the onion. Peel and mince 2 cloves garlic.

　　

Step 2

Add the onion and garlic to the oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, 3 to 5 minutes. Chop the ham into bite-sized pieces. If you’re using canned beans, rinse and drain them. Grate the zest from the lemon; refrigerate the fruit for another use. If you’re using fresh tarragon, strip the leaves from 1 or 2 sprigs and chop.

　　

Step 3

Stir in the ham, beans, tarragon or 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence, lemon zest, ¼ cup white wine or water, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook and stir just until the liquid evaporates, about a minute.

　　

Step 4

Spread the mixture evenly in the skillet, scatter the bread crumbs over the top, and drizzle with a little olive oil.

　　

Step 5

Broil until the beans are hot and bubbling and the bread crumbs are crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Let sit for a minute or two, then serve.

　　From How to Cook Everything Fast, Revised Edition by Mark Bittman. Copyright © 2022 by Mark Bittman. Reprinted by permission of Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Buy the full book from Harper Collins or Amazon.