Blessed be the beans

I’M A BIG fan of using tinned beans such as chick pea, kidney and cannellini at home, but I draw the line at using tinned lentils.

They only require a mild and optional soak and a relatively short cooking time, so I see little point in buying the tinned variety. But pulses and legumes that require overnight soaking and hours of boiling need a little forward planning, which isn’t always possible. But both of today’s recipes would not have been well served using tinned products. So I got myself in gear and did a bit of bean soaking in the morning, so they were ready to go cook in the evening.

The Cuban black beans and rice recipe is something that reminds me of my childhood. Not that I was hanging out with the Castro brothers in Cuba. But it’s the type of dish that has trickled through to the West Indies (where I was born and where it is called peas and rice), and to parts of South America. I’m not sure why I haven’t tried to make it until now, but when I came across a recipe in an American food magazine, I had a real urge to savour those flavours again.

As soon as I tasted it, I was immediately transported back to somewhere light, breezy and extremely sunny. This is really delicious, hearty food, and although you could leave out the bacon if you’re vegetarian, you’ll find that throughout that part of the world, pork is a firm favourite with the locals (as it is here in Ireland) and it really lends great body to the dish.

While preparing the second recipe, I stupidly soaked and then simmered double the quantity of flageolet beans required, so I made another tasty dish the next day that was vegetarian, using the leftover soaked and cooked beans. Sweat a large chopped onion in some olive oil, add a few cloves of chopped garlic, a few sprigs of thyme and then add the cooked beans and enough water, with a stock cube dissolved in it, to just cover the beans. Bring this up to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. At this stage check the seasoning, add a big spoonful of crème fraiche and about 100 grams of blue cheese. Mix well, reduce the heat and allow the cheese to just melt and slightly thicken up the dish. Dump a bag of spinach leaves in and mix so that they wilt. Check the seasoning again and serve. This is lovely with lots of chopped chives.

Cuban black beans and rice

Could happily serve 6-8

500g black beans (also known as black turtle beans)

1.5 litre chicken stock (you can use a cube)

2 bay leaves

12 slices smoked rashers, diced

4 tbsp olive oil

4 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 head garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

2 green peppers, seeded and diced

500g long grain white rice

1 tbsp oregano leaves or 2 tsp dried oregano

4 tbsp red wine vinegar

Good squeeze of ketchup

1 bunch spring onions

Lime wedges

Soak the black beans in generously salted water for about eight to 10 hours. Drain and rinse them well. Cook the beans in the stock, along with the bay leaves, for about 30 to 40 minutes. Drain the beans over a bowl as you need to reserve this cooking liquor.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees/gas mark four. In a large, heavy-based saucepan, fry the bacon in about half the olive oil. Cook until it is starting to brown and caramelise, then add the cumin and garlic and possibly the rest of the olive oil, if you feel it needs a little more fat in the pan. Then add the chopped onions, green peppers and garlic. Keep the heat up high and allow this mixture to sweat and soften. The flavour of the bacon fat should coat the mirepoix of vegetables and the garlic needs to cook out as well. You don’t really want these vegetables to brown, just soften and bring out some sweetness.

Rinse the rice under a tap until the water runs clear to help remove excess starch. Drain and chuck the rice into the saucepan and add the reserved cooking liquor (which will be inky black). Add the black beans. The stock should be enough to turn it into a sloppy stew, rather than a watery bath. Add the vinegar, oregano and ketchup. Cover with a lid and bake for about 30 to 40 minutes.

Check the rice about half way and if you think you need to add more liquid, do so. It should end up like a pilaf, but if it’s too wet, remove the lid for a while. The main thing is that it’s super tasty and that the rice is cooked through. If you mix it too much it will get a bit sticky. Season it well and if it’s too bland, then add more vinegar, salt, pepper and oregano. Serve with chopped spring onions, a squeeze of lime juice and a beer, while listening to some Bob Marley.

Chicken, apple and flageolet bean casserole

Serves 4

250g flageolet beans

Olive oil

8 chicken pieces

4 sausages (optional)

2 onions, peeled and sliced

2-3 dessert apples, peeled and cut into chunks

Few sprigs of rosemary

Few bay leaves

1 tbsp plain flour

500ml stock

50ml crème fraiche

Splash of tarragon vinegar

Bunch of tarragon

Soak the beans for eight to 10 hours in lots of salted water. Drain them, rinse well and simmer in plenty of water until nearly tender, so 30-40 minutes. Preheat an oven to 190 degrees/gas mark five.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan and season and brown the chicken well, in batches, and set aside till they’re all done. Fry the sausages until brown and set aside. Then heat the onions in the same pan and fat. When the onion is soft, add the apple. When they’re soft but not coloured, sprinkle the flour on top and stir so that the flour absorbs the excess fat and cooks out. Add the rosemary and bay leaves. Then add the stock, gradually, stirring constantly. Add the chicken and sausage, as well as the cooked beans back to the saucepan.

Cook in the oven for about 40 minutes with a lid on. Check and see if you need to add more liquid half way through the cooking time. When the chicken has cooked, add the crème fraiche, tarragon vinegar and some chopped tarragon. Check the seasoning and adjust. Serve with some bread and a nice glass of white wine.

* dkemp@irishtimes.com See also itsa.ie