Bean Bourguignon

• portioner: 4 to 6
• aktiv tid: 1.5 hrs
• total tid: 1.5 hrs plus 8 hr brine

Ingredienser

1/2 tablespoons table salt for brining

8 ounces (1 cups) dried Christmas lima beans, picked over and rinsed

1/2 teaspoon table salt, plus salt for cooking beans

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 1/2 pounds portobello mushroom caps, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine

1 large shallot, minced

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry red wine, divided

2 tablespoons white miso

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 bay leaves

1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Vejledning

Dissolve 1½ tablespoons salt in 2 quarts cold water in large container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.

Bring soaked beans and 7 cups water to simmer in large saucepan. Simmer, partially covered, over medium-low heat until beans are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in 1½ teaspoons salt, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain beans and set aside.

While beans cook, add 1/4 cup water and 2 tablespoons oil to Dutch oven and bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Add portobello mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (mushrooms will release liquid).

Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until pot is dry and dark fond forms, 6 to 8 minutes longer. Add carrots, shallot, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil to pot and cook, stirring often, until vegetables start to brown, 3 to 4 mninutes. Add porcini mushrooms, garlic, and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in 1 cup wine, scraping up any browned bits.

Whisk in miso, soy sauce, and tomato paste, then stir in 5 cups water and bay leaves. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain vigorous simmer and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pot to loosen any browned bits, until sauce is reduced and has consistency of heavy cream, 20 to 25 minutes.

Stir in pearl onions, cooked beans, and remaining 2 tablespoons wine. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until pearl onions are tender, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves and stir in parsley. Serve. Suggest serving over Cheesy Gruyere Polenta.

Notater

Servung suggestion - serve over Cheesy Gruyere Polenta.

You can find Christmas lima beans at some specialty stores or you can order them onlinc; you can substitute dried lima beans, if desired. We love the favor and texture of the dried beans here, but if pressed for time, you can use two 15-ounce cans of drained lima beans. You can substitute dried shitake mushrooms for the porcini and yellow or red miso for white. Leave the mushroom gills intact; they enhance the stew's color and Alavor. Serve with mashed potatoes or polenta (recipe follows).

Brine Your Beans

You might think of brining as what you do to keep lean meats such as chicken breast and pork loin juicy and tender, but brining isn't just for meat. When you soak dried beans in salted water, they cook up deeply seasoned, with softer, more tender skins, and are less likely to blow out and disintegrate.

Recipe and notes from Cook's Country, Oct/Nov 2025.