Chef Johns Cranberry Bean Ragout Recipes

BACON AND CRANBERRY BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• Cook and stir olive oil and bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until bacon is fully cooked and begins to crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain off excess grease, leaving a teaspoon in the pan.
• Stir shallots and salt into the cooked bacon; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in beans, chicken broth, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the beans begin to swell, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Uncover and continue cooking bean and bacon mixture until the liquid reduces and beans are tender, 5 to 10 more minutes. Add rosemary, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. Adjust levels of salt and black pepper. Remove from heat, stir in extra-virgin olive oil, hot chile paste, and fresh herbs.

SHELL BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• In a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, combine the shell beans, onion, crushed garlic clove, bouquet garni and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add salt to taste, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Remove and discard onion and garlic clove.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet and add leeks and celery. Cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes, and stir in minced garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, and add tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have cooked down slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Stir leek and tomato mixture into beans, along with summer squash. Bring back to a simmer and cook 15 minutes, until beans are creamy-tender but intact and the vegetables are soft and fragrant. Taste and adjust seasonings. Remove bouquet garni.
• Ladle ragout into wide bowls. Top each serving with a generous sprinkling of slivered basil leaves and a spoonful of Parmesan.

CHEF JOHN'S CRANBERRY BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic slices in hot oil until lightly toasted, about 30 seconds.
• Pour 1/2 cup chicken stock over the garlic; add cranberry beans, corn, tomato, currants, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper, respectively, and stir. Sprinkle 1 pinch oregano over the beans mixture.
• Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, add another splash chicken stock, and cook at a simmer, stirring occasionally and adding more broth to keep mixture from becoming dry, until the beans are completely tender, about 45 minutes.
• Stir remaining oregano into the beans mixture; transfer to a plate and garnish with lemon zest.

CHEF JOHN'S CRAB RANGOON

Steps:

• Mix cream cheese, crab meat, green onions, garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, sesame oil, and cayenne pepper together with a fork until ingredients are blended thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, 1 or 2 hours.
• Keep wonton wrappers moist by covering with a damp paper towel. Place a small bowl of water nearby on the work surface. With a wet fingertip, moisten surface of wonton. Place 1 1/2 teaspoons of crab filling in center of wonton. Fold 2 opposite corners toward each other over the filling but without touching tips together yet. Fold up the other 2 corners. Working gently from the bottom, squeeze out any air bubbles; pinch together the 4 seams from the bottom up to create a modified pyramid (or "warhead") shape. Place on a dry surface. Continue with remaining wontons.
• Heat oil in deep fryer to 350 degrees F. Fry wontons in batches until golden brown and crispy, gently moving them around in the oil with a strainer to brown each surface, about 3 minutes. Let cool about a minute before eating. Serve with the dipping sauce.
• Whisk ketchup, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and sriracha sauce together in a bowl for the dipping sauce.

CHEF JOHN'S BOSTON CREAM PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Spray 2 (8-inch) cake pans with cooking spray.
• Stir yellow cake mix, 3 eggs, water, and vegetable oil in a bowl until moistened. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
• Divide cake batter between the two prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cakes have risen and are lightly golden brown, 33 to 38 minutes. Check for doneness after 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes should come out clean. Allow cakes to cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the pans. Cool cakes completely, about 40 minutes.
• Whisk 3 eggs, cornstarch, and sugar in a large bowl until well mixed and lemon colored, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
• Heat 1 cup heavy whipping cream, whole milk, and 1/2 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to boil.
• Reduce heat to low; pour egg mixture into cream mixture and whisk until thick, about 1 minute.
• Pour egg and cream mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl; discard any chunks.
• Whisk vanilla and salt into the egg and cream mixture until combined. Cover with a layer of plastic wrap pressed against the surface. Chill in refrigerator to form a pastry cream texture, 3 to 4 hours.
• Place chocolate in a large bowl. Heat 1 teaspoon butter and 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream in a saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted. Pour cream mixture over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Set aside until cooled, but still pourable, about 20 minutes.
• Place one cake layer on a plate, flat side up. Spread pastry cream to within 1-inch of the edge of cake. Place second cake layer on top, rounded side up. Press gently to push pastry cream to the edge. Pour chocolate mixture over top of the cake and spread so it drips over the edge.

CHEF JOHN'S CRANBERRY BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic slices in hot oil until lightly toasted, about 30 seconds.
• Pour 1/2 cup chicken stock over the garlic; add cranberry beans, corn, tomato, currants, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper, respectively, and stir. Sprinkle 1 pinch oregano over the beans mixture.
• Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, add another splash chicken stock, and cook at a simmer, stirring occasionally and adding more broth to keep mixture from becoming dry, until the beans are completely tender, about 45 minutes.
• Stir remaining oregano into the beans mixture; transfer to a plate and garnish with lemon zest.