Yesterday was really yucky out. Add M and Casey driving back from Spokane in less than wonderful conditions, and I thought some serious comfort food was in order. I had a half pound of really lovely Spanish chorizo, which got the gears grinding.
I came up with this spicy paean to the Pyrenees, with ingredients from France and Spain, powered by the legendary piment d’Espelette chile. You can read more about those in this post on Basque Piperrada I did back in 2015, (that won a formal nod from the Basque tourist bureau). Feel free, of course, to tweak this as you see fit and make it your own. It’s a relatively quick dish to prepare, and an absolute joy to have cooking low and slow for a few hours.
Urban’s Paean to the Pyrenees Beans & Chorizo
1 Pound Rancho Gordo White Beans, (I used my fave, the Mogette de Vendée)
3 Cups Bean Broth
8 Ounces Spanish Chorizo
1/2 Yellow Onion, (about a cup or so)
1-2 fresh Jalapeños (any chile you like is fine, as is green pepper)
1/2 fresh Red Bell Pepper
3 cloves fresh Garlic
2 large fresh Tomatoes
1 1/2 Cups Tomato Sauce
2 Tablespoons Agave Nectar
2 Tablespoons Rancho Gordo stone Ground Chocolate, (other good Mexican disc chocolate is fine too)
2 Tablespoons Rancho Gordo Pineapple Vinegar, (Live Cider Vinegar will do as a sub)
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons Smoked Paprika
2 teaspoons fine ground Black Pepper
2 teaspoons ground Piment d’Espelette Chile, (You can sub hot Spanish paprika if need be)
2 teaspoons crushed Celery Leaf, (1 teaspoon of seed or celery salt will do fine – crush the former, omit kosher salt for the latter)
1 teaspoon fine kosher Salt
Choose a baking vessel with a lid – If you’re cooking in clay, (and I hope you are), soak your vessel if needed.
Cook the beans in the RG manner – stove top, covered with 2+” of fresh water, with 2 bay leaves and 2-3 small cloves of peeled and trimmed garlic.
Bring to a full boil for 10-15 minutes, then reduce heat to a bare simmer and cook until the peas are tender, always maintaining at least 2” of water above the peas – add simmering hot water from a tea kettle to top things off.
Do as Steve Sando advises on the RG website for cooking beans – reduce heat as far as you can while still getting a simmer bubble and let them go low and slow until they’re done.
Drain beans, remove bay leaves, and reserve 3 cups of bean broth.
Stem, peel, and fine dice onion and red pepper.
Stem, trim, and devein chiles – you want the flavor from these, not the heat, (but if you’re a chile head, go wild.)
End trim and dice the tomatoes.
Smash, peel, trim and mince garlic.
Dice chorizo, (depending on the form of your chorizo, this may vary).
If you’re not cooking in clay, preheat oven to 300° F – No preheat for clay vessels!
In a large mixing bowl, add 2 cups of the bean broth and all other ingredients – whisk thoroughly to incorporate.
Add beans and veggies and stir well to combine – You should have a very soupy consistency at this point.
Load your chosen vessel and bake – for clay, I start out at 250° F for 30 minutes, then go up to 300°.
Check and stir your pot every 30 minutes or so – if things start to get too thick, add more bean broth.
The bake takes me roughly 3-4 hours to get creamy beans and a nicely caramelized, bubbly sauce.
Serve with fresh, rustic bread rubbed with garlic, (and if you don’t have that, whatever floats your boat).
Savor smugly while your diners swoon.
UrbanMonique 