Crispy White Beans With Garlic And Herbs Food

CREAMY BRAISED WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, cut side down, and cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the milk, chickpeas and their liquid, white beans, thyme and nutmeg and stir to combine. Season generously with salt and pepper. When the mixture begins to bubble around the edges of the pan (you don't want it to come to a full boil), reduce the heat to low and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened and tastes great to you, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Use a fork to remove the garlic halves from the beans. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then use the fork to remove the cloves from the skins. Spread the cloves on bread or toast.
• If you would like the beans to be more stew-like, mash some of the beans using a potato masher or the back of a spoon. Serve beans and milk in bowls. Garnish as you wish, with a drizzle of oil, a sprinkle of Parmesan and a pinch of Aleppo pepper and black pepper. Serve with the bread alongside for dipping.

CREAMY WHITE BEANS WITH HERB OIL

Steps:

• Make the oil: In a food processor, combine chives, cilantro and basil, and pulse until finely chopped. Add olive oil, and pulse again until mixture is silky and emulsified. Transfer to a small bowl, stir in lemon juice and salt to taste. Set aside.
• Prepare the beans: In a 10-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook until translucent, about 1 minute. Add beans to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded, about 2 to 3 minutes. With the back of a spoon or spatula, smash about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the beans and stir until they are incorporated into the rest of the bean mixture. A good portion of the remaining beans should maintain their structure.
• Add stock or water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until sauce becomes creamy and is reduced by about about half, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Smash additional beans and add a few more tablespoons of water, if needed, to reach desired consistency and stir again to combined.
• Transfer beans to a bowl and swirl with herb oil on top. Season with flaky salt, if desired.

WHITE BEANS WITH GARLIC

Steps:

• If time allows, soak dried beans for several hours or overnight, then drain. (If not, proceed, but expect cooking time to be somewhat longer.) Place the drained beans in a large pot with water to cover. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Add the herb and partially cover; adjust the heat so the mixture simmers steadily.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, about an hour. Add about 1/2 tsp salt and some pepper. Continue to cook, adding water if necessary, until the beans are quite soft, another 15 to 30 minutes or so.
• If the mixture is very soupy, raise the heat a bit and cook off the remaining liquid. When the beans are moist but not soupy, add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes or so. Add the olive oil, taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve or refrigerate for up to 3 days before reheating. (Or add water to cover and freeze for up to a month.).

SIZZLING HERB PASTA WITH WHITE BEANS AND CRISP SMOKED BACON

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil; stir in the beans and set aside.
• In a medium-sized heavy skillet, cook the bacon pieces over low to medium-low heat, turning as needed to achieve uniform crispness. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel to drain. Pour off the bacon drippings, reserving 1/4 cup in the skillet.
• Meanwhile, prepare the pasta according to package directions. (Serving hint: As the pasta water heats, place your serving bowl or platter over the pot to heat it.) Drain well, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water.
• Transfer the pasta to the warmed serving bowl, add the beans with their marinade and the bacon pieces and toss lightly.
• In the skillet used to the cook the bacon, heat the reserved bacon drippings over medium-high heat until hot. (To test, add an herb leaf to the hot drippings. When it sizzles, the temperature is right) Add the parsley, sage and rosemary to the hot drippings and saute quickly, 10 to 15 seconds. Drizzle and scrape the bacon drippings and herbs onto the pasta mixture and toss to blend. For a moister coating, add a little of the reserved cooking water. Serve immediately with the salt, pepper and grated romano.

CRISPY BEAN CAKES WITH HARISSA, LEMON AND HERBS

Steps:

• Place the drained beans in a large bowl and crush using a fork or your fingers until coarsely mashed. Add the cilantro, dill, scallions, cornstarch, harissa, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper. Add the lemon zest and stir to incorporate. Alternatively, you can incorporate ingredients using a food processor and pulse to combine.
• In a small bowl, whisk the egg white until foamy and fold it into the bean mixture. Cover the mixture and refrigerate to chill slightly, at least 15 minutes, before shaping and frying.
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a medium (10-inch) nonstick skillet or a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Working in batches, use a 1/4-cup measure to scoop portions of the bean mixture into the oil. Using the flat surface of the cup, press each scooped portion to tightly pack and shape it into a 1/4-inch-thick patty. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Turn using a wide spatula, and brown the other side, about 2 minutes.
• Remove cooked cakes from oil and drain on a plate lined with paper towels or a cooling rack on a baking sheet. Repeat until all the bean mixture is used, adding the remaining oil and removing any loose bits from the skillet as necessary. Return the bowl to the refrigerator in between batches to keep the mixture chilled.
• Serve lemon wedges alongside the crispy cakes for squeezing. Garnish with dollops of labneh, if using, additional fresh herbs and harissa for dipping.

ROASTED GARLIC AND WHITE BEAN DIP WITH ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Roast the garlic: Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel off most of the garlic's outermost skin but leave the whole head intact. Trim about 1/4 inch off the top of the garlic to expose the cloves. Place the garlic on a large piece of aluminum foil, then drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil over the exposed cloves and close the foil into a pouch. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until you can pierce the center of the head with a knife. Let cool slightly.
• Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the bowl of a food processor. Add the white beans, 4 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary leaves, black pepper, cayenne (if using), hot water and salt. Purée until smooth, then taste for salt, pepper, rosemary and lemon juice. Adjust as necessary. Transfer to a serving dish.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the remaining rosemary sprig - it should sizzle. Cook until brown and crisp, flipping once, about 1 minute per side, then transfer to the top of the dip as a garnish. Pour or spoon the remaining olive oil, now infused with rosemary, over the top of the dip. Sprinkle with cayenne for a little additional heat.