IMBB Beans: Flageolet

I am a novice still when it comes to cooking beans -being a very recent bean convert- and I am skiing this weekend, so instead of doing anything beany-fancy, I am doing a very simple bean dish that is a favorite of mine: flageolet beans to serve with a roasted leg of lamb.

I wrote about the gigot d'agneau already, but not about the flageolet. These flageolets -in the prettiest shade of pale green- came from my friend Mr.Rancho Gordo, who sells his lovingly grown heirloom beans at the Ferry Plaza farmers market in San Francisco. The flageolets are very light tasting, and stay in shape beautifully even after cooking. They are the best accompaniment for a leg of lamb roasted with a mustard/garlic/rosemary rub because they absorb the lamb-y and mustard-y flavors from the lamb wonderfully.

Flageolet beans
1 pound dried flageolets, soaked in water for at least 1 hour and drained
4 cups of chicken stock
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
4 springs of parsley
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste

1. In a two quart pot, sweat the onions (which means sauteed until translucent) in the olive oil, then add garlic, cook until they smell good
2. add the drained beans and the chicken stock, and bring to a boil
3. reduce the heat to a simmer for 2 hours (optional: soak in a hot tub to make the time fly by quicker)
4. separate the beans from the stock
5. reduce the stock until you have about one cup left, add salt to taste
6. return the reduced stock to the beans, stir well, serve

I serve these delicious beans right under the leg of lamb so that the juice from the lamb add even more flavors to the beans.

Comments

[dave]

Now Pim is really going to log off so we don't spent the entire day sitting inside.

[ryan]

I'm not a food blogger, so I don't know if this news has got out, but could you make mention of the 40th consecutive year of Paul Bocuse's three michelin stars at restaurant de Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or.

It's an achievement even Americans should learn to appreciate....

[Spunangel]

"sweat the onions?"

Wow.. the dish looks great, but I don't even know what "sweat the onions" could possibly mean..

A recipe far above my head..

[Jeanne]

Looks delicious!! I can actualyl smell that roast... And I have a bag of flageolet beans waiting in the cupboard, a little memento of our trip to France in November. Hmmm, now I wonder, what shall I do with them??! ;-)

Thanks for sharing!

[sara]

Was that you having dim sum at Yet Wah on Clement this past Sunday?

[Cathy]

Hi Pim - I'm so sorry it took me so long to get around to your post - I've never had flageolet before, but this preparation sounds wonderful. I remember you talking about Rancho Gordo before, but I think maybe the mail order is new? Anyway, I'm glad to see they have it and I've signed up for their newsletter. Thanks so much for participating in IMBB 11!

[Barbara Fisher]

Great recipe--flageolet are one of my favorite types of beans. They are fantastic in a lamb stew as well, especially with leeks and plenty of garlic.

[Miro]

Big fan of Rancho Gordo. Have you tried the Good Mother Stallard's? They are a cranberry bean variety that makes the richest pot licker (liquor, whatever :P) sauce I have experienced. Flageolet do well sauteed with sage too. Great site!

[roulette]

Beautiful! really interesting.

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Chris from [ roulette (http://www.roulette4u.com) ]

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[dali]

can you put me posted w/ new recipe especially beans . I love flageolets>>>
thamks

Dali

[Peter H]

Hi Pim- I'm curious how much those beautiful beans cost? I ask because one of my favorite palces to shop is a local fish store here in Bethesda (MD) run by 2 Asturianos (actually they are brothers and hale from Asturias in northwest Spain). Every year they get a shipment of Beans from Asturias. These are the beans (dried favas) that are the basis of Favada Asturiana and are eagerly awaited by the local Spanish expats. Here's what gets me, the beans are like $17 a pound, and while undeniably delicious--yes, I have bought $17/lb beans-- at that price I don't very often! I call them las Favas de Oro.

I realize I've come across your blog a year after this post but thought I would add my 2 cents anyway.