Shell Bean Ragout Recipes

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.

WHITE BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the onions, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Do not brown. Add the garlic and cook one minute more.
• Add the tomatoes, beans, chicken broth, tomato paste and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (I use about 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, but it depends on what type of beans you use; canned will have some salt already.) Bring to a simmer and cook until tomatoes are slightly softened but still hold their shape, 3-5 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Note that the sauce may have a strong vinegar flavor at first, but it will mellow out. Right before serving, stir in the fresh basil and mint. Transfer to serving dish, garnish with more fresh herbs if desired, and serve hot.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: This dish can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• In a large saucepan cook beans in boiling water for 30 minutes until tender. Drain.
• Heat oil, garlic and shallots over medium heat until golden. Add beans and stir until nicely coated with oil. Add chicken stock and simmer until 1/3 liquid remains, about 15 to 20 minutes Add butter and cook until thickened. Finish with grated lemon zest and parsley. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring cider to a boil and reduce by 3/4. Drizzle on plate.
• This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

FRESH SHELL BEAN AND GREEN BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• Shell: 1 pound fresh shell beans (such as cranberry, cannellini, or flageolet)
• Cook the beans in lightly salted boiling water until creamy and tender. Start checking after 15 minutes. When they are done, let the beans cool in their cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, snap off the stem ends, and pull off the tails if dry or tough, from: 3/4 pound green beans.
• Cut into 1-inch bite-size pieces. Cook until tender in salted boiling water, drain, and spread out on a baking sheet or plate to cool.
• Heat in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat: 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• Add: 1 onion, diced.
• Cook until translucent, about 10 minutes, then add: 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped, 2 teaspoons chopped savory, marjoram, or parsley, Salt, Fresh-ground black pepper.
• Cook for 4 minutes. Drain the shell beans, reserving their cooking liquid. Stir the shell beans and 3/4 cup of their liquid into the onions. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Stir in the green beans and return to a boil. Turn down the heat and cook for another minute or so to warm the beans through. Taste for salt and add more as needed. Serve with a drizzle of: Extra-virgin olive oil.

QUICK WHITE BEAN AND CELERY RAGOUT

Steps:

• Combine the stock, oil, celery, zucchini and scallions in a large, deep skillet; season generously with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, adding the beans halfway through, about 10 minutes total. If you'd like to make it brothier, add 1/3 cup vegetable stock and warm for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
• Divide among shallow bowls. Top with a dollop of crème fraîche, drizzle with pesto and top with celery leaves. Serve with couscous or grilled bread.

SHELL BEANS AND POTATO RAGOUT WITH SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. Stem the chard, setting aside the stems, and wash the leaves thoroughly in two changes of water. Wash the stems, trim away the ends and dice. Set aside. When the pot of water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the chard leaves. Blanch for one to two minutes, until tender but still bright, and transfer to the bowl of ice water. Drain, squeeze out excess water and chop coarsely. Set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about two minutes, and add the diced chard stems. Cook, stirring often, for about two minutes, until the stems begin to soften, and add the garlic. Stir together for a minute, and add the beans, potatoes, water (just enough to cover everything) and bouquet garni. Bring to a simmer. Add salt to taste. Cover and simmer 40 to 45 minutes, until the beans are tender. Add the blanched chard, and simmer for another two to three minutes. Add pepper, and then taste and adjust salt. Remove the bouquet garni. Stir in the parsley and marjoram, and serve, passing Parmesan at the table for sprinkling.

SHELL BEANS AND POTATO RAGOUT WITH SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; Fill a bowl with ice water then stem the chard, setting aside the stems, and wash the leaves thoroughly in two changes of water.
• Wash the stems, trim away the ends and dice then set aside.
• When the pot of water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the chard leaves; Blanch for one to two minutes, until tender but still bright, and transfer to the bowl of ice water.
• Drain, squeeze out excess water and chop coarsely. Set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the onion.
• Cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about two minutes, and add the diced chard stems; Cook, stirring often, for about two minutes, until the stems begin to soften, and add the garlic.
• Stir together for a minute, and add the beans, potatoes, water (just enough to cover everything) and bouquet garni.;Bring to a simmer.
• Add salt to taste. then cover and simmer 40 to 45 minutes, until the beans are tender.
• Add the blanched chard, and simmer for another two to three minutes adding pepper, and then taste and adjust salt.
• Remove the bouquet garni and stir in the parsley and marjoram, then serve, passing Parmesan at the table for sprinkling.