27 Oct 2011
I came across some dried flageolet beans in the pantry, so decided to prep some over a weekend, and keep them in the fridge as a go to for weekday dinner sides. Chef DJ Olsen over at Lou clued me in on his technique that does not require soaking the beans overnight. Basically I boiled water and then dumped the beans in the pot, covered it and turned off the heat (helping to release the gas from the beans that, well - give one gas). After 15-20 minutes I drained and washed the beans and threw them back in salted water along with some aromatics (parsley, thyme, bay leaf) and veggies (cut carrots, onions, fennel) under a simmer for 40 minutes or so. Flageolets are sturdy, and quite forgiving to low and long cooking times (see: cassoulets) so I wasn’t too concerned. I then removed the aromatics and veggies and transferred beans, broth and all to a container and into the fridge.
As a side, I render some cut bacon, throw in some diced onions, several scoops of the beans, and sautee for a few minutes. Cream and thyme to finish, breadcrumbs to dress it if I’m in the mood. Simple side that’s versatile with any protein (chicken and steak above).
