Creamy Flageolet Beans French Style Food

FRENCH FLAGEOLET BEANS

Steps:

• The night before cooking, place the beans in a large bowl and cover them with water by 1 inch. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Drain the beans, rinse well, and drain again. In a large ovenproof pot such as Le Creuset, heat the olive oil over medium to medium-low heat, add the bacon, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the bacon starts to brown. Add the onion, fennel, and carrots and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften but aren't browned. Add the garlic and saute for 1 to 2 more minutes.
• Add the flageolets to the pot and stir in the broth, bay leaves, and rosemary. (Don't be tempted to add salt! The beans will become tough.) Add 2 cups of water, which should just cover the beans, and bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Cover the pot tightly and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the lid, stir in 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, and return the pot to the oven without the lid. Raise the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 45 more minutes. The beans will be very tender and there will be just a little liquid in the bottom of the pan. (If the beans are dry, add a little more water.) Discard the bay leaves and rosemary. Taste for seasonings and serve hot.

FLAGEOLETS WITH AUTUMN GREENS AND FRESH BACON

Steps:

• Pack the fresh bacon in the salt and sugar mixture, cover, and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Rinse and pat dry, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
• Combine the bacon, beans, carrot, onion, garlic, apricots, bay leaves, and chile in a pressure cooker and add cold water to come an inch above the beans. Fit the pressure cooker with the lid and raise the temperature to high until it starts to whistle. Reduce to the lowest setting and cook until the beans are creamy and cooked through, roughly 25 minutes. Remove the lid and adjust the seasoning with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Alternately, bring the ingredients to a boil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and immediately reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, covered, until the beans are thoroughly cooked through and creamy, roughly 1 3/4 hours.
• Remove the large aromatic vegetables, garlic, chile, and bay leaves from the pot and discard. They've done their flavoring job. Coarsely chop the greens or tear with your hands, then fold them into the beans. Simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the greens are tender.
• Serve with warm crusty bread and a healthy dose of olive oil.

FLAGEOLET

Steps:

• Place beans in a large stockpot. Cover with cold water by 2 inches; let soak overnight in the refrigerator.
• Transfer beans to a colander to drain. Return to stockpot; cover with 8 cups water. Add rosemary and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until beans are tender, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl; discard herbs. Gently toss with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Serve.

ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH FLAGEOLET BEANS

Steps:

• For the Beans:.
• Rinse, pick over and soak the flageolet beans in cold water overnight.
• Drain the soaked beans and place them in a large pot with the bouquet garni, carrot and onion.
• Cover with the 3 quarts of cold water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 2 to 2 and 1/2 hours or until the beans are thoroughly cooked.
• Bring the 2 quarts of salted water to a boil, add the green beans, and cook about 12 minutes or until crisp-cooked.
• Drain and refresh under cold running water.
• For the Lamb:.
• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Poke the leg of lamb with the tip of a knife in various spots and insert slivers of garlic into the slits.
• Make a bed of the onion and carrot in the bottom of a roasting pan and place the lamb on the vegetables and the roasting pan in the oven.
• Reduce heat to 350°F and roast for about one hour and twenty minutes for a rare roast (165°F internal Temperature) up to two hours for a well-done roast (175° to 180°F).
• Remove lamb to a platter and add the white wine and water to the roasting pan, mixing well to scrape up all carmelized juices from the bottom of the pan.
• Strain through a fine sieve and season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
• To Serve:.
• Reheat the flageolets and season with salt and pepper.
• Reheat the green beans in a skillet with a little butter and season with salt and pepper.
• Carve the lamb, place the slices on a large platter on a bed of the flageolets (or white beans) surrounded by the green beans and douse the meat with some of the sauce.
• Serve additional sauce on the side.

FLAGEOLET BEANS IN CREAM (FLAGEOLETS A LA CREME)

Steps:

• Put the flageolets in a mixing bowl and add cold water to cover about two inches above the top of the beans. Let stand overnight.
• Drain the beans and put them in a kettle. Add the eight cups of water, the carrot and the onion stuck with cloves. Tie the celery, parsley sprigs and bay leaf into a bundle and add it. Add the thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil. Cover and let simmer two hours or slightly less until the flageolets are tender.
• Remove and discard the onion, celery, parsley and bay leaf.
• Remove the carrot and cut it into small cubes. Set aside.
• Drain the beans but reserve one- half cup of the cooking liquid. Set aside.
• Heat the butter in a large skillet and add the garlic and shallots. Cook briefly, stirring, and add the beans, chopped parsley, carrot and cream. Let simmer five minutes and serve.