Yummy Borlotti Beans

[Frances]

Afternoon all,

I seem to be a struggling with ideas for using fresh borlotti beans. I've a recipe called Tagliatelle Enbogone and one for plain boiled beans drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil, but not a lot else. Does anyone have any interesting ideas?

Frances the compost queen

[nikkijy]

Have a look on river cottage/recipes. He did a nice looking dish with broadbeans, don't seem why you couldn't use borlotti beans

[Julian]

Afternoon all,

I seem to be a struggling with ideas for using fresh borlotti beans. I've a recipe called Tagliatelle Enbogone and one for plain boiled beans drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil, but not a lot else. Does anyone have any interesting ideas?

Frances the compost queen

4 pork loin steaks (or wild boar) weighing about 250g
2 shallots peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 small fennel bulb or half a larger one
4tbsp extra virgin olive oil
150ml chicken stock
180-200g shelled weight of fresh borlotti beans
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove any green ferns from the fennel, chop and put to one side. Trim any discoloured flesh from the bulb and cut it into rough small dice of about 1 cm. Gently cook the shallots, garlic and fennel in the olive oil for 3-4 minutes with a lid on, stirring every so often and not colouring. Add the chicken stock and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes or until the fennel is soft.

Meanwhile cook the borlotti beans in boiling salted water for 10 minutes, drain and add to the fennel mixture, season and continue simmering for 10-15 minutes until the beans are soft, add the chopped fennel ferns and simmer for 2-3 minutes. If you're planning to grill the pork on a barbecue, have this part ready in advance.

Pre-heat a grill, ribbed griddle plate, barbecue or heavy frying pan. Season the pork chops f and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side depending on the thickness. Some rare breeds will have a lot of fat and a thick rind so it's a good idea to cut the rind and a little fat away before grilling and crisp it up separately.

Spoon the bean mixture on to plates and place the chop on top.

[tomgood99]

Borlotti bean recipe

Hi there, I was searching for the very same thing and found this on the Sainsburys website, sounds lovely!


* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 4 garlic cloves, chopped
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 6 pork ribs
* 4-6 strips of pork belly, cubed finely, or 6-8 streaky pork rashers, chopped
* 397g can of chopped tomatoes
* 3 tablespoons tomato purée

* 1 litre water, or meat or vegetable stock
* 375g dried borlotti beans, soaked overnight in cold water, or 2 x 432g can of borlotti beans, drained
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 6 slices coarse bread, such as ciabatta
* 1-2 small onions, sliced very finely
* Handful of fresh basil leaves, shredded


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4. Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole and fry the garlic and onion for about 5 minutes or until soft but not brown.
2. Add the pork ribs and cubed pork belly or bacon and cook until browned on all sides. Add the tomatoes, tomato purée and stock. Stir carefully and season with pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, if using soaked dried beans, drain them and put them in a saucepan. Cover with fresh water, bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 10 minutes. Drain and add to the casserole. Canned beans may be added without pre-boiling.
4. Transfer the soup to the oven and cook for 1½-2 hours (if dried beans have been used) or until the beans are tender. If canned beans have been used, cook for about 1 hour.
5. Just before serving, toast the bread slices and arrange them in the bottom of a warmed wide serving bowl, or place them in individual soup bowls.
6. Scatter the onion slices on top. Pour the soup over the bread. Grind some pepper over the soup, sprinkle with basil and serve immediately.

[Flummery]

Pork and beans - marriage made in heaven. All it needs for perfection is a dollop of your home made crab apple and sage jelly on the side!

[zazen999]

two-sheds posted a thread all about beans, the tomato and bean soup is heaven sent.

[wellie]

Hi Frances,

Depends what you're looking for really, because what is one person's yummy, is another person's yuk!

Denis Cotter (brilliant Irish Chef) has a few takes on them, as does the very talented Sarah Raven.

Lemon, Thyme and Sage go perfectly well with the meaty beans, as do the sweet and sour flavours.

* Use them in a Ratatouille
* Hummus instead of Chickpeas
* Soup - endless possibilities with garlic, herbs, tomatoes
* Add to casseroles with slow-roasted Lamb Shanks maybe
* Brilliant with Sausage Casseroles
* Preserved in Olive Oil with Home Grown Sweet Peppers..... I do....!

Sometimes I just cook how the book tells me, understand what they've said, appreciate how I taste the taste, text the texture, and then adjust and adulterate?
What WAS Sweet'n'Sour Preserved, sometimes ends up being Lemon Thyme & Chilli.
If you think outside the box, within limits, the world's your oyster.
Combine the flavours that you love. Borlotti Beans are meaty enough to take the flavours.
I think so.

[Two_Sheds]

two-sheds posted a thread all about beans, the tomato and bean soup is heaven sent.

Indeedy ... http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ans_26962.html