White beans with red onions, parsley & lemon
- Farm To Table
Cooking your own beans gives a much more unctuous result than using the canned type: they’re richer and have a better flavor as well. Be careful not to take them too far in the cooking, though… beans that are falling apart won’t work well with the wilting rocket. If you don’t like rockets, use baby spinach leaves, which will behave in a similar way. Make sure to season this dish well, as beans need it.
SERVES 8
- 450g (1lb) dried cannellini beans
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole, plus 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 celery sticks (and a few leaves), halved
- 3 rosemary sprigs
- 3 small, dried chillies
- some bits of unsmoked bacon fat if you have it
- 5 tablespoons regular olive oil (preferably the oil from cooking the pork)
- 2 red onions, finely sliced
- sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
- 125g (4½oz) rocket leaves
- juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
- very good-quality extra virgin olive oil, to serve
"Better beans and bacon in peace than cakes and ale in fear."
Aesop
Put the beans in a large bowl and add enough water to cover them generously (they will expand). Leave to soak overnight.
Drain and rinse the beans and put them in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Add enough water to cover them by about 4cm (1½in). Add the whole garlic cloves, quartered onion, celery, rosemary, chillies, and bacon fat (if using) and bring to the boil, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook the beans until they are tender. Add more water as you need it and keep an eye on the level; you must keep the beans covered. The cooking time will vary depending on the age of the beans; it can take anything from 45 minutes to 1½ hours.
When the beans are tender – but not collapsing – strain them; you can use the thick cooking juices in a soup. (If you’re not going to serve the beans until the following day, leave them in their cooking water, as it keeps them moist.)
Heat 3 tablespoons of the regular olive oil in a large sauté pan and sauté the red onions gently until soft but not colored. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for another few minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of regular olive oil and the beans, season well and cook until they’re warm (be careful, you don’t want to squash the beans and make them mushy). Toss in the rocket, lemon juice and parsley. The rocket will wilt slightly.
Taste: beans need a lot of seasoning, so adjust it if you need to.
Transfer the beans to a serving bowl, stir in the extra virgin olive oil and serve with the pork.
