Last week, my husband and I signed up for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box from Oak Hill Farms. The box was packed with beautiful produce, that has been the inspiration for my cooking the past week. The box included leeks, among other greens. I wasn’t sure how to prepare leeks, so with that, I went over to foodgawker.com to search for recipes including leeks. I found an AMAZING recipe that was the perfect dish for a cold wintery night.
This recipe isn’t one that you make on a weeknight, because it takes several hours to bake, but it was a perfect Sunday night meal that was savory and satisfying. I prepared the braised white beans as the main course, as it is similar to the consistency of a stew, but you could also serve it with a protein and allow the beans to be a side dish. Either way…this recipe is worth the time that it takes to bake, because we were saying mmmmm mmmmm until the very last bite.
- 1lb dried cannellini beans
- 3 large leeks
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 celery stalks (diced)
- 4 cloves of garlic (coursely chopped)
- 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tsp herbes de Provence
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- ¾ cup of crispy bacon (chopped/crumbled)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- chopped fresh Italian parsley (for garnish)
- 1 loaf of sourdough or your favorite bread (optional)
- Rinse beans and soak uncovered in large bowl of cold water on the counter over night (if you don’t have time to let them soak all night, they need a minimum of 4 hours soaking time).
- Drain and set aside
- Arrange oven rack to the lower third of the oven and preheat to 225F.
- Trim the leeks, discarding the tough green tops, halve vertically and rinse well in cold water, making sure to clean out any dirt trapped between the layers.
- Slice into thin half circles.
- In a large Dutch oven, or ovenproof casserole over medium heat, warm the olive oil and butter
- Add the celery, garlic and leeks and cook until the vegetables are softened (3-5 minutes).
- Add the beans, thyme, herbes de Provence, red pepper flakes, ¼ tsp salt and generous amount of black pepper.
- Stir in vegetable broth and ½ cup of water, bringing to a gentle boil
- Cover the pot with an ovenproof lid (if your dish doesn’t have a lid, cover it tightly with foil)
- Place in the oven and cook 3-3.5 hrs, checking occasionally to make sure the pot is never dry, and water in ½ cup increments and stir once or twice if needed.
- When the beans are almost done (soft and not crunchy at all), prepare the bacon in a skillet, making sure that it is nice and crispy.
- OPTION: Set bacon aside, keeping the grease from the bacon in the skillet for making the bread later
- Once beans are completely cooked, remove pot from the oven, and turn the heat up to 500F
- Stir in the coarsely chopped bacon and sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top of the bean mixture (don’t stir in the cheese- layer it on top of the beans)
- Put back in the oven, with the lid off – cook until cheese is completely melted and brown in spots (8-10 minutes)
- While waiting for the cheese to melt to perfection, heat bacon fat and place thick slices of sourdough (or your favorite bread), on the hot skillet. Once browned, flip the bread, and allow the other side to cook as well.
- Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped parsley and warm pan fried bread- amazing!!
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