Butter Beans
Yield: 2 cups of beans, not including the delicious liquid, known as bean liquor
Whenever I used to make beans from scratch, I would soak them overnight in plain filtered water. I have since learned brining them in salted water results in a much better flavor and texture. It’s a game changer!
For every pound of dried beans, dissolve 5 Tbsp of kosher salt in 5 quarts of filtered water. It doesn’t have to be exact and, don’t worry, the high salt content won’t make the beans too salty. The larger the bean, the longer they soak. Butter beans will need a 24-hour soak at room temperature because they are big boys!
There is always a bowl of beans soaking on the counter and, for when I’m feeling lazy, a few cans rumbling around in the pantry. I adore the large butter beans which I find at the international market. They cook up to twice their size and have a beautiful creamy and meaty texture.
Cooking your beans with aromatics, like garlic, herbs, and onion or, in this case, fennel, will add a nice depth of flavor. Here are some other flavor combination suggestion:
- onion, carrot, bay leaf, garlic
- onion, cumin, coriander, bay leaf, garlic
- fennel, cinnamon, bay leaf, garlic
- onion, carrot, garlic, fresh thyme sprig, bay leaf
- parsley, bay leaf, black pepper, garlic
You can make a bouquet garni, a package to carry aromatics, herbs and spices, by wrapping your herbs and spices in a piece of cheese cloth and tying it up with kitchen twine, or just toss them in and fish them out later. Don’t add anything acidic, like vinegar or tomato, since it can greatly affect the texture of the bean.
It doesn’t have to look pretty, as long as it’s secure.
I like to stir the cooked beans in with shakshuka with a side of crunchy garlic toast to make a flavor-packed vegan dinner. They are a wonderful accompaniment to a hearty salad. Just strain them from the cooking liquor, toss in a touch of evoo, lemon, kosher salt and pepper, and top a salad of romaine and shaved parmesan. But if you want to celebrate the bean all by itself, eat them with the cooking liquor drizzled with some of that artisan evoo you got for Christmas. Don’t forget to sprinkle some flaked sea salt on top, with a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper, and a few sprigs of fennel fronds.
The recipe:
To soak the beans
1 cup (7 oz) dried butter beans
4 cups filtered water
1 Tbsp kosher salt
To cook the beans
Drained and rinsed soaked beans
3 fennel stalks 3 – 4 inches long
3 fresh garlic cloves – cut in half
1 dried bay leaf
1 fresh basil spring
4 quarts filtered water
Garnish
Evoo – the good stuff!
Fennel fronds
Flaked sea salt to taste
Black pepper
To soak the beans
1. In a large bowl, add rinsed and drained dried beans with the kosher salt. Let sit out at room temperature for 24 hours.
About 2 hours into the soaking process.
To cook the beans
1. Drain and rinse beans and add to a large pot. Add the fennel stalks, garlic, bay leaf, basil and water. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then turn down to a very low simmer. There should be very little movement in the water. Cook 70-90 minutes until beans are soft and no longer chalky.
2. Try at least 3 beans to check for doneness. If any of them are not ready, cook for a little longer. If the water gets below 2” above the beans, add more boiling water. Don’t add cold water.
For the garnish
1. Once the beans are done, discard the fennel, bay leaf, and basil. You can leave the garlic and water with the beans.
2. You can remove the beans with a slotted spoon and toss them with a little evoo and add them to a salad.
or…
3. Eat them hot with the liquid as a chunky soup. Garnish with a splash of extra virgin olive oil, fennel fronds, a sprinkle of kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper. They go great with a havarti grilled cheese or crunchy garlic toast slathered with pesto.
Scrumdiddlyumptious!
