Excerpted from Mosquito Supper Club by Melissa Martin (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2020.
Of all beans, white beans are my favorite. There are so many different varieties that fall under the category. I prefer to cook with navy beans; they cook much faster than red beans and don’t require an overnight soak. They are creamy and earthy and hold their shape even when cooked for long periods of time. They are the highest in fiber of all the white beans, too. There are four types of dried white beans that you can buy in any regular grocery store: navy beans, great northerns, cannellini, and baby limas (also called butter beans). I also love heirloom varieties like cranberry (borlotti) and Marcella beans (named after legendary cookbook author Marcella Hazan). Any one of these white beans will work in this recipe.
Serves 4 to 6
2 tablespoons canola oil
½ pound (225 g) salt pork, homemade or store-bought, diced small
1 pound (455 g) onions, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 bay leaf (see Note)
1 pound (455 g) dried navy beans, rinsed with hot water and drained
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Cooked rice, for serving
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion, for garnish
Warm a heavy-bottomed 12-quart (11 L) pot over medium heat for 2 minutes, then add the oil and heat for 30 seconds. Add the salt pork and cook, turning as needed to brown on all sides, about 12 minutes.
Add the onions, celery, and bay leaf and stir to combine. Add the beans and 3½ quarts (3.5 L) water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring often, until most of the water has boiled off or been absorbed and the beans are tender, 50 to 60 minutes. As the beans cool, they will absorb more liquid, so having some liquid left over is just fine; you don’t want dry beans.
Mash some of the beans against the side of the pot and stir them into the liquid. Season with the salt, black pepper, and cayenne.
Serve the beans over rice, garnished with the parsley and green onion.
Note: I like to leave the bay leaves in the final recipe. They’re not meant to be eaten, but it makes for a beautiful, rustic presentation.
