By mr
Tomato Braised Romano Beans with Anchovy(ish)
In a perfect world, everyone has access to Romano beans, but I do realize big box grocery stores aren’t carrying them just yet (there was a time where they didn’t even carry arugula- imagine!). That said, green beans (or yellow wax beans) are a great substitute. Like all vegetables, beans start to wrinkle and lose their illustrious snap as soon as they’re picked, so do you best to find “fresh” beans and cook them as soon as you’re able– you’ll be rewarded with an excellent snap and unparalleled texture. While tomato is included (and they do get saucy), these are not tomato sauce beans– more a bean that is gently tossed in a suggestion of burst fresh tomatoes like a well dressed salad, supported by anchovy (of course). The tomatoes themselves needn’t be plentiful or pristine for this, it’s a great time to use up rogue ones on their way out, or softies from the market. For the cooking, my preferred vessel for these is a dutch oven or high-sided pot. Even though they shrink/soften/wilt a little, they’ll still stay what they are: a long, wild bean entangled in other long, wild beans. Give them space! - AR
Updated at: Wed, 16 Aug 2023 23:57:44 GMT
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Ingredients
5 servings
2 tablespoonsolive oil
4 clovesgarlic
thinly sliced
capers
instead of anchovies
crushed red pepper flakes
fennel seed, coriander seed, etc. if you want them to be lightly spiced
6 ouncescherry tomatoes
sungold or any other small, halved
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 poundsromano beans
or green beans, tails snapped off
Parmesan
pe tta, or feta, coarsely grated or crumbled, if you like
Instructions
Step 1
Heat olive oil in a large, high-sided pot (dutch oven) or a large, wide skillet over medium–high heat. Add garlic and cook until toasted and nicely browned, 3–5 minutes. Add anchovies and stir to melt, a minute or two (using a wooden spoon or tongs to smash them into the oil can be helpful if they need it)-- add the crushed red pepper flakes (or fennel seed, crushed coriander, whatever spice you like) if using, and let them bloom in the hot oil a few seconds.
Step 2
Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook until they’ve burst and start to cook down into a jammy, rich sauce- could be loose and brothy with more tang, or thicker and sweeter if cooked longer. I like when some parts of the tomato start caramelizing/getting real dark around the edges of the pot or skillet, but that only happens when I accidentally walk away and am not paying attention.
Step 3
Reduce the heat to medium, add the beans, tossing them in the tomato-y bits (I like tongs for this) and season with salt and pepper. They’ll be real stiff and inflexible to start, but give them time and they’ll start to soften and bend, making them easy to periodically stir and toss.
Step 4
If you have a lid, cover the pot (this helps them steam, which just expedites the cooking a bit), if not, they’ll just take a little longer. The fun part of cooking beans this way is you get to decide the texture. If you like them on the al-dente side (I do), you’ll cook 10–15 minutes or so. If you prefer something saucier, softer and falling apart, cook 25–30. If you’ve never cooked with these beans before, just taste one periodically. They can be eaten raw, so no danger in sampling early on.
Step 5
Season again with salt and pepper before serving, with or without cheese.
Notes
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