Best Gratin Of Flageolet Beans Recipes

French Flageolet Beans image

Provided by Ina Garten

Time 14h

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 pound dried flageolet beans
2 tablespoons good olive oil
4 ounces bacon, diced
2 cups medium-diced yellow onion (2 onions)
2 cups medium-diced fennel, trimmed and cored
2 carrots, scrubbed and medium-diced
4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
2 cups canned beef or vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

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.

Flageolet Bean Casserole image

Provided by Chef Kate

Categories Ham

Time 14h30m

Yield 8-10 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

2 cups dried flageolet beans (may substitute cannellini or great northern beans)
1 medium onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or unsalted butter or duck fat)
1/2 lb prosciutto (an end cut which can sometimes be purchased cheaply will do beautifully, if not, get a thick slice)
1 bouquet garni (parsley, bay leaf, sage leaves, thyme sprigs)
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade and unsalted
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (or one cup canned diced tomatoes)
4 slices white bread, slightly stale, crust removed (sandwich bread like Pepperidge Farm)

Steps:

Cover the beans in cold water by at least three inches of liquid and allow to soak overnight.
When your beans have soaked, heat the onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat for about ten minutes.
Add prosciutto (if the end--add it whole, if a slice, cut into dice and add), the drained beans, the stock and the bouquet garni.
Bring to a simmer, partially cover the pot and continue to simmer very gently, stirring every twenty minutes or so (and adding additional broth or water if the beans become dry) for about one and a half hours or until the beans have softened completely.
Stir the tomatoes into the beans and cook uncovered until the beans are no longer submerged in liquid.
If you used a prosciutto end, remove it and peel off and discard the rind, chop the remaining meat and add back into the beans.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Process the bread in your blender or food processor (or grate using the larger holes on your box grater).
Spread the beans in an 8 - 12 cup gratin or baking dish.
Sprinkle the surface with the bread crumbs and the remaining olive oil; bake for thirty minutes or until the surface is golden brown.