Glazed Borlotti Beans

When I cook with borlotti, I most often use imported, canned Italian beans. I hardly use dried beans. I think they are a nuisance, with the 24hrs of soaking and the long cooking time required. My cooking tends to be spontaneous, and I don’t usually know what I will be cooking until the day comes. So, for this reason the tinned version is far more convenient, and I usually have a few tins in my cupboard ready to go.
However, fresh borlotti are in season right now and take no time to prepare. So naturally I am enjoying cooking with the fresh ingredient. Here is one such dish, I made a few days ago. I must admit, it is a rather posh preparation for a humble ingredient, but simple if you already have the chicken stock on hand. You will need a rich French style chicken stock for this dish.

Ingredients
500g fresh borlotti beans (1 kilo unshelled)
300 ml rich chicken stock
30g butter
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Rocket, to garnish

Method
Steam the beans over boiling water for 20 minutes.
Now combine them in a saucepan with the stock, and cook gently for another 20 minutes. The stock will reduce to a shiny glaze.
Add the butter and season with pepper, and salt if it needs it.
Garnish with the rocket leaves as you please.
These beans are good with roast fish. Serves 2-3 people.

La Ribollita Estiva

I have written of this famous Tuscan soup in the past. Traditionally this thick winter soup is made with cavolo nero, beans and sturdy Tuscan bread. It is reboiled the following day, hence the name, “La Ribollita”. Ribollire translates to reboil from Italian to English.
Cavolo Nero or black cabbage is an assertive green leafed vegetable only found during winter. As it is clearly not winter in my part of the world, I have taken liberty to substitute cavolo nero with silverbeet, which incidentally is in season. The bunch I had was the greenest and freshest I have ever seen. It is such a pleasure to cook with fine produce.
I honestly don’t know what a Tuscan may think of my Ribollita Estiva, but I thought it was rather good, so without further due, here is the recipe.

Ingredients
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 or 2 celery stalks, chopped
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 bunch silverbeet, soaked to remove any dirt
2 x 400g cans Italian borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
400g can Italian tomatoes, chopped
30g tomato paste (concentrated tomato puree)
Chicken stock (fake is fine)
Herbs-basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage
200g crustless Tuscan style bread, torn into small pieces
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper

Method
As for most soups, sauces and stews, I begin by cooking the onion, carrot, celery and the chosen herbs with the olive oil, very slowly. I do this for about 30 minutes or until the onion begins to caramelize. This is one area in my life where I have patience. I know the time invested in slow cooking the base of vegetables will reward in plenty of flavour, to the finished dish. In Italian and Spanish cuisine this stage is known as “sofrito”.
In the meantime, shred the silverbeet leaves, and chop the stalks into cubes (about 1cm).
Add the silverbeet to the browned vegetables and toss about for a few minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste and enough chicken stock to submerge everything. Simmer for 45 minutes.
Add the beans and simmer for another 15 minutes. Leave the soup to rest in the fridge, until the following day.
When you are ready to eat, bring the soup to the boil, then adjust to a simmer.
I use the hand blender to puree a little of the soup, thus thickening it slightly and fusing the flavours together.
Add the bread, and break it up into the soup, using a wooden spoon. The bread will thicken the soup. Simmer for 15 minutes. Adjust with more stock or bread, to suit your desired texture. I like a medium thickness, but I have seen some very thick soups in Italian books.

Season with salt and pepper. Serve drizzled with threads of peppery extra virgin olive oil and more freshly chopped herbs. Plenty for 4 people.
Note-Try to find a Tuscan style bread for this soup. The traditional bread of Toscana, contains little or no salt. But of course any good, sturdy bread will do.

Potato, Borlotti Bean and Red Pepper Salad

Here is another wonderful salad for the summer time. This one though is more substantial than yesterdays, and it contains two carbohydrates that I love- the waxy potato and the ever convenient borlotti bean (tinned of course), The red pepper gives this dish crunch and fragrance, while adding colour to an otherwise boring beige palette.
Serve this with a bloody steak (wagyu please).

Ingredients
400g tin Italian borlotti beans
200g waxy potato
1 red pepper, chopped
60ml extra virgin olive oil
15ml red wine vinegar (I infuse mine with rosemary and thyme)
1 tbsp very finely chopped onion
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Freshly chopped parsley

Method
Drain the beans in a colander and rinse under fresh water. Lay them out on a tea towel to dry.
Chop the potato into bite sized pieces. Steam them until cooked to your liking - I like mine a bit firm.
Allow the potato to cool a little.
Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, onion and seasoning. Pour over the still warm potato, beans and red pepper. I like to use my hands to gently combine, so the potato does not break.
Leave to marinate in the dressing until you are ready to eat.
At the last minute, add the parsley and check again for salt and pepper. Give everything a light mix to evenly distribute the dressing. This salad is best at room temperature. Serves 2-4 people