Bacon And Cranberry Bean Ragout Food

BACON AND CRANBERRY BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• Cook and stir olive oil and bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until bacon is fully cooked and begins to crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain off excess grease, leaving a teaspoon in the pan.
• Stir shallots and salt into the cooked bacon; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in beans, chicken broth, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the beans begin to swell, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Uncover and continue cooking bean and bacon mixture until the liquid reduces and beans are tender, 5 to 10 more minutes. Add rosemary, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. Adjust levels of salt and black pepper. Remove from heat, stir in extra-virgin olive oil, hot chile paste, and fresh herbs.

CRANBERRY BACON GALETTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. For topping, in a small bowl, combine cheese, marmalade and cranberry sauce. Refrigerate until serving., In a large skillet, cook sugar over medium-high heat 1-2 minutes or until it just begins to melt. Add onion; cook and stir 2 minutes longer., Stir in cranberries, mushrooms, oil, lemon pepper, salt and paprika; cook and stir 2 minutes. Reduce heat. Stir in juice; cook and stir until mushrooms are tender, about 4 minutes., On a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, unfold puff pastry sheet and form a 10-in. square, using a rolling pin if necessary. With a ruler, cut a 10x2-in. rectangle with a long sharp knife or pastry wheel. From the 10x2-in. strip, cut two 10x1/2-in. strips and two 7x1/2-in. strips. Remove and discard trimmings. Prick the remaining 10x8-in. pastry base all over with a fork. Brush water 1/2 in. around edges of pastry base. Place the 10x1/2-in. and 7x1/2-in. strips along edges to form sides. Press lightly., Spread cranberry mixture to edges; sprinkle with bacon. Bake 18-22 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Cool 10 minutes. Sprinkle with basil. Serve warm with topping.

SHELL BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• In a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, combine the shell beans, onion, crushed garlic clove, bouquet garni and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add salt to taste, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Remove and discard onion and garlic clove.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet and add leeks and celery. Cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes, and stir in minced garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, and add tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have cooked down slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Stir leek and tomato mixture into beans, along with summer squash. Bring back to a simmer and cook 15 minutes, until beans are creamy-tender but intact and the vegetables are soft and fragrant. Taste and adjust seasonings. Remove bouquet garni.
• Ladle ragout into wide bowls. Top each serving with a generous sprinkling of slivered basil leaves and a spoonful of Parmesan.