Mussels With Farro Cannellini And Chickpeas Food

LIDIA BASTIANICH'S MUSSELS WITH FARRO, CANNELLINI, AND CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Rinse the chickpeas, and place in a bowl with cold water covering them by 4 inches. Do the same with the cannellini, in a separate bowl. Soak both for 12 to 24 hours.
• Drain and rinse the chickpeas, and put them in a big saucepan with about 7 cups of fresh cold water. Set the pot over medium-high heat, and drop in the chopped carrot, celery, and onion, the halved cherry tomatoes, and 4 tablespoons of the olive oil. Bring the water to a boil, partially cover the pan, and adjust the heat to maintain a steady, bubbling simmer. Stir occasionally.
• After the chickpeas have cooked for an hour, drain and rinse the cannellini and stir into the pot. There should be at least an inch of liquid covering the beans; add more water if necessary. Return to the boil, partially cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring now and then.
• Rinse the farro grains in a sieve, and stir in with the beans, along with the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepperoncino. There should be about 1/2 inch of liquid covering the beans and grain; add more water if necessary. Return to the boil, partially cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes or longer, until the beans and the farro are tender - add water if needed to keep the beans and grains barely covered with liquid as they finish cooking. When they are done, most of the surface water should have been absorbed or evaporated, but the stew should be slightly soupy.
• While the farro cooks, prepare the mussels. Pour the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil into the sauté pan, and scatter in the garlic cloves and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepperoncino. Cook for 3 minutes or so over medium-high heat, until the garlic is lightly colored, then add all the rinsed mussels at once. Tumble them around the pan quickly, to coat with oil, and put on the cover. Cook over high heat for about 2 minutes, shaking the covered pan a couple of times, just until the mussels are open, and take the pan off the stove.
• Shuck the mussels right over the pan, letting the juices and meat drop in. Discard the shells (and any mussels that did not open). If you like, leave a dozen or so mussels in the shell for a garnish.
• When the farro and beans are cooked, pour the shucked mussels and their juices into the pot and stir well - the consistency should be rather brothy. Heat to a boil, and cook for just a minute, to make sure everything is nice and hot. Taste, and adjust salt. Stir in the chopped parsley, and spoon portions into warm pasta bowls; garnish with unshucked mussels if you saved them. Drizzle good olive oil over each, and serve immediately.
• To prepare in advance: Cook the beans and farro until tender, following recipe, and remove from the heat. Let them sit in the saucepan up to 3 hours (they will absorb liquid and thicken). Shortly before serving, cook and shuck the mussels. Stir the mussel juices into the beans and farro and heat slowly to a simmer. Stir in the mussels and finish as above.

FARRO, CANNELLINI BEAN, CHICKPEA, AND MUSSELS IN BROTH

Steps:

• Bring the 3 cups of water to boil in a medium saucepan over high heat; add the farro, cover, and return to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook until the farro is just barely tender, about 45 minutes.
• While the farro is cooking, heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add carrot, celery, and onion, and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the halved cherry tomatoes, ¼ cup olive oil, and chickpeas, and just enough water to barely cover the mixture. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• When the farro is cooked, add it to the stockpot along with the cannellini beans, salt and red pepper flakes. Stir together, cover, and set aside (or refrigerate if serving the next day).
• Pour the remaining ¼ cup olive oil into a large sauté pan over medium high heat and add the garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes then add all the mussels at once. Stir the mussels a bit, then cover and cook over medium high heat until the mussels open fully, about 3-4 minutes. Be sure to uncover the pan every minute or so to stir the mussels to ensure they all open.
• Shuck the mussels right over the pan, letting the juices and meat drop in. Discard the shells (and any mussels that did not open). If serving immediately, stir the cooked mussels and their juices into the farro and beans. The consistency should be very broth. Stir in the chopped parsley and serve. Drizzle with high quality extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately.
• If serving the next day, place the mussels and their juices into a covered container in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, heat the farro and beans to a simmer, stir in the mussels and their juices, and continue cooking until heated through. Stir in fresh parsley before serving.

MUSSELS WITH FARRO, CANNELLINI, AND CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Rinse the chickpeas, and place in a bowl with cold water covering them by 4 inches. Do the same with the cannellini, in a separate bowl. Soak both for 12 to 24 hours.
• Drain and rinse the chickpeas, and put them in the big saucepan with about 7 cups of fresh cold water. Set the pot over medium-high heat, and drop in the chopped carrot, celery, and onion, the halved cherry tomatoes, and 4 tablespoons of the olive oil. Bring the water to a boil, partially cover the pan, and adjust the heat to maintain a steady, bubbling simmer. Stir occasionally.
• After the chickpeas have cooked for an hour, drain and rinse the cannellini and stir them into the pot. There should be at least an inch of liquid covering the beans; add more water if necessary. Return to the boil, partially cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring now and then.
• Rinse the farro grains in a sieve, and stir in with the beans, along with the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the peperoncino. There should be about 1/4 inch of liquid covering the beans and grain; add more water if necessary. Return to the boil, partially cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes or longer, until the beans and the farro are tender-add water if needed to keep the beans and grains barely covered with liquid as they finish cooking. When they are done, most of the surface water should have been absorbed or evaporated, but the stew should be slightly soupy.
• While the farro cooks, prepare the mussels. Pour the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil in the sauté pan, and scatter in the garlic cloves and remaining 1/4 teaspoon peperoncino. Cook for 3 minutes or so over medium-high heat, until the garlic is lightly colored, then add all the rinsed mussels at once. Tumble them around the pan quickly, to coat with oil, and put on the cover. Cook over high heat for about 2 minutes, shaking the covered pan a couple of times, just until the mussels are open, and take the pan off the stove.
• Shuck the mussels right over the pan, letting the juices and meat drop in. Discard the shells (and any mussels that did not open). If you like, leave a dozen or so mussels in the shell for a garnish.
• When the farro and beans are cooked, pour the shucked mussels and their juices into the pot and stir well-the consistency should be rather brothy. Heat to the boil, and cook for just a minute, to make sure everything is nice and hot. Taste, and adjust salt. Stir in the chopped parsley, and spoon portions into warm pasta bowls; garnish with unshucked mussels if you saved them. Drizzle good olive oil over each, and serve immediately.
• To prepare in advance: Cook the beans and farro until tender, following recipe, and remove from the heat. Let them sit in the saucepan up to 3 hours (they will absorb liquid and thicken). Shortly before serving, cook and shuck the mussels. Stir the mussel juices into the beans and farro, and heat slowly to a simmer. Stir in the mussels, and finish as above.