golden beans
I spilt the beans, so eat up now.
Active-ish Time: ~ 1.5 hrs (depends on ur beans)
Servings: 4 main servings (or 6 smaller servings)
Ingredients
¼ cup evoo
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 shallot bulbs, sliced
1 fennel bulb
cornstarch
4”x4” kombu
1 bay leaf
1 star anise clove
1 cup (6 oz) dried white beans
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
Water
3 oz of turmeric orange juice*
3 oz (90 ml) orange juice
Juice of 1/2 lemon
½-3/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp agave or honey
pinch of black pepper
4 eggs
*I used Monfefo cold-pressed turmeric orange juice that was kindly gifted to me. (This is not an affiliate link.) But I was able to recreate a similar tasting juice if fresh juice is not conveniently availble for you.
Optional toppings (see Try Experimenting with for pairing suggestions:)
- chili oil (salsa macha, szechuan chili oil, quick - DIY chili oil see recipe here, etc.)
- fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley, etc.)
- pickled onions or kimchi
- roasted seaweed
- corn tortillas or grains (brown rice, farro, etc.) or flatbread (naan, pita,etc.)
- cotija cheese
Recipe:
1. Soak white beans in salted water for 6 hours to overnight.
It doesn’t matter how much salt. It doesn’t really matter how long you soak either. Soaking for less will be a longer cooking time, and soaking for longer will ensure less cooking time. My grandma will keep beans soaking in the refrigerator up to a week. But just make sure to soak.
2. Yes, we’re using the whole fennel.
Bulb: Cut the fennel bulb in half once, and then cut each half into thirds. Coat in cornstarch and a pinch of salt.
Try to preserve the fennel bulb as much possible while cleaning between the layers. If your fennel is especially dirty or straight from the farmers market, it will be harder to preserve the bulb. If any layers fall off from the bulb, you are okay, kind, and beautiful person still. In fact, this is even better because we will just add it to the broth to extract its sweet anise flavor. Slice fallen layers lengthwise and set aside.
Stalk: Chop and set aside with fallen layers.
Fronds: Set aside to garnish later.
2. Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot on medium. Once oil is glossy, add shallots, and cook until semi-translucent (or for 2-3 minutes).
3. One-pot, unresolved childhood trauma method: Lower heat to medium-low, and move shallots to one side of the pot. Add garlic. Add coated and cut fennel bulbs to pan. Do not add the sliced fallen pieces yet. Cook each side of the bulb until each side is crispy and golden (around 5 minutes per side). Remove and set aside the fennel bulbs. Shallots should remain in the pot and at this point be caramelized and jammy.
I use the one-pot method because I was raised in a home with a dishwasher filled with plastic bags and Tupperware instead of dishes. I don’t really acknowledge the existence of a dishwasher because it is ingrained in my head that dishes are done by hand. Perhaps this is unresolved childhood trauma. I will update you.
If you’ve already released your inner child: please live freely and use a separate pot and pan. In the original pot, lower heat, add the garlic, and caramelize your shallots. In a new pan, fry the fennel until crispy on each side.
4. Lower heat to low. To the pot with caramelized shallots and garlic, add beans, kombu, leftover sliced fennel, bay leaf, star anise, salt, and pepper. Add 3 cups of water to pot. The beans should be covered with at least 1 inch of water.
5. Simmer for 1 ½ hours. Go complete your silly little tasks but check back periodically to stir and ensure beans are covered.
I have one specific silly little task for you though in these 1 1/2 hours. Make 4 jammy eggs. I have a fail-proof 6.5 minute egg recipe. Why 6.5 minute egg? Read here. But if you plan to have leftover beans and eggs for the week, boil eggs for 6 minutes instead because I find jammy yolk congealed (that is, becomes less jammy) once refrigerated.
6. After 1 ½ hours, taste 1 bean. If you like tougher beans, turn off the heat. If you like softer beans, add 1/3 cup more of water, continue to cook for another 15-30 minute. If it is just right, then turn off the heat, Goldilocks. Remove kombu, bay leaf, and star anise.
Yes, you might have a hard time fishing out the kombu and staranise. They probably will no longer be entirely intact. You can remove them earlier (at the 1 hour mark) to prevent this. I don’t. I just make things harder for myself—kind of masochistic and cute of me.
7. Add orange turmeric juice into pot. Stir and taste. Add more salt and pepper, if needed to taste.
8. Serve golden beans in bowls. Add one jammy egg and a couple crispy fennel bulbs to each bowl. Drizzle chili oil. Garnish with fennel fronds, chopped herbs, and shallots. Voila beans and vegetables!
Non-negotiables:
Jammy egg – Once served and cut, the yolk leaks into the turmeric-colored broth. The fat from the yolk also adds umami to the broth. It is really a golden moment. (If you are vegan though, I will give you a pass.)
Kombu – Kombu helps soften the beans and naturally salts the broth.
Star Anise – I usually love to leech sweet anise flavor of fennel slowly either in a broth or braise. But in this recipe we use most of the bulb instead as a meaty texture on top, and a little bit of the stalks to flavor the broth. In order to help out the stalks, I use star anise.
Try experimenting with:
Alliums – if you have a yellow or white onions, go ahead and use them. I use only in th kitchen only as a coping mechanism. I actually have a teargas reaction to cutting all other alliums. It’s very emasculating and not very BDE of me. Shallots, on the other hand, seem to understand me-- we are both small but mighty and pungent—and we, therefore, get along.
Fresh turmeric — If you have fresh turmeric lying around, I would preferably substitute that in for ground turmeric. I used a cold-pressed orange turmeric juice (made with fresh turmeric root), so using fresh turmeric would garner the most similar results. I just don’t have fresh turmeric lying around.
Creamier broth – If you want a creamier broth, mash some of the beans against the wall of the pot with the back of a spoon. This technique will release the starch from the bean, thickening the broth. I personally like my beans intact though.
Garnishes/toppings – I love how these beans provide a versatile base to your diverse pantry. It is reminder of the basis of beans in so many cultures, You can tailor the beans to whichever cuisine you are craving. Each variation consists of some type of grain/carb + chopped fresh herbs + chili oil/spice
I’ve personally tested these first three different variations.
Frozen dumplings might be your depression dinner, but tinned dolmas are mine:
tinned dolmas + parsley
You can use the tortillas as a vehicle, or just use them to soak up the broth.
corn tortillas + cilantro + cotija cheese + salsa macha
I would feed this to my grandma.
brown rice + crumbled roasted seaweed + sesame oil + kimchi
Here are four other variations I’m dreaming of, please try them for me:
If my name was started with an Al- but ended with -ison, I would call it the Stew. But good thing my name is Alex”
garlicky naan + yogurt + spiced chutney
Did you know I had to stop myself forcibly from buying pita chips because I inhale an entire bag in one sitting:
pita bread or chips + parsley and/or dill + DIY chili oil
DIY Chili oil — gently warm over low heat, two pinches of red pinches of red pepper flakes in a tbsp of evoo, until fragrant
Halloumi is my favorite cheese.
fried/grilled halloumi + parsley + DIY chili oil (see quick recipe above)
Another variation I would feed to my grandma.
brown rice + basil + scallions + Szechuan chili oil
Tbh, I think this brothy beans would taste good with just crackers too.
Food styling tips
Garnish with all the toppings. I love how multiple people have described the Pasta as topping-forward. Use the same mentality here. More topping = more texture for the camera to pick up on.
Capture the yolk leaking into the broth and the separation of chili oil from the broth.
If you’re quick enough to move from the stovetop to the one window in your house that gets that beam of natural light before 4pm, capture the warm steam emanating your brothy beans.
Before you remove the spices, take a picture of the collage of spices—kombu, star anise, bay leaves, etc.—in the pot. I love taking pictures that memorialize the flavor profile of a meal.
Recipe Development:
OK, I know this number of tests doesn’t measure up to my usual 6-7 tests. While I cooked this only meal twice, I ate it for like 6 meals and shared it with 3 friends. I think the math should check out now.
Test #1 – I’ve experienced a round of life changes these past several months: starting medical school, moving away from home in Los Angeles, settling into and exploring NYC as home for the next four years, and making new friends and holding onto old ones. It’s been a trying months, attempting to process the new while retain the old. Throwing together this bean recipe each time has felt made me feel—to put it succinctly—more like me. My comforting basal state is throwing whatever I have in the pantry/fridge together and voila vegetables.
I made the first test originally 1) to clean out my perishables before Thanksgiving and 2) to instill a sense of closure to my personal Alex v. Bean plot. Start watching at 14:38 for context.
What I did right – I brought the leftovers to my friendsgiving in Cold Springs—about an hour upstate of the city. This was my first Thanksgiving away from home. We ate the beans with a baguette from a local bakery that we had bought in Beacon the day prior. I think what really convinced me to develop this recipe further was one of my friend’s response: “I’m inspired to make some beans myself now.”
Needs improvement — As a part of my pantry clean out, I diced and added carrots to the broth They also made the broth more bulky, taking attention away from the beans. Perhaps the carrots would have been better pureed and added into the broth. I do love the sweetness of cooked carrots, but I think they added negligible flavor overall. (And I will never dirty another kitchen tool if they don’t merit the extra cleaning.)
The dish also needed another nuance in its profile—an extra kick? Spice? Lactic bit?
I think fennel in its intact bulbous form plates beautifully and acts like as play on a meaty main. Instead of chopping the fennel, next time I wanted to preserve its original form as much as possible.
The dish was too broth and not beans enough—that is, I added too much water. Less water next time.
Test #2 – I get bored of eating the same meal quickly. I appreciate how this recipe is a relatively convenient base that stimulates me to think about all the different ways I can eat it. It’s an exciting, new experiment each time. I ate this round for 4 meals in 3 different iterations for as a kitchen clean-out in NYC before heading home for the holidays.
What I did right — I was maintained the fennel in its whole form and crisped it up to provide a “meaty” texture. Adding different sources of spice (chili oil, salsa mocha, kimchi) gave each variation a new twang. Lastly, I controlled the bean:water ratio more tightly, resulting in a balanced brothy beans.
If you decide to test these beans, please tag me @everythingalexcooks,
(and I mean actually tag me, the new IG update doesn’t notify me when I simply get mentioned in a caption).
I want to see your creations and hear your thoughts!
