Year of the Bean

One of the things I love doing as I travel around New York is visiting the wide variety of different supermarkets in other neighborhoods. After an invigorating afternoon of birding in Sheepshead Bay last week, I was headed to the train and stumbled on the Ocean Foodmart – a truly great bodega, with seafood (salmon heads $1.49/lb!), about a dozen kinds of mushrooms, and a wide variety of international dried goods. I picked up a bag of Turkish white beans from “Leziz Natural” (never heard of them but sounds good!)

Fitting for Turkish white beans, I decided to make the traditional Turkish soup, Kuru Fasulye – both for its own sake and as a base on which to bake some haddock I got from the fishmonger.

Ingredients

• 300g Fasulye white beans
• one quart tomatoes, chopped fine
• one large onion, chopped small
• four cloves garlic, minced
• 450g haddock (or other firm white fish) filet
• salt
• pepper
• bay leaf
• olive oil
• 2 Tbsp preserved lemon, minced
• 1/3 C. green olive with pimento, chopped

Procedure: Beans

1. Soak beans overnight, then add to a large-heavy-bottomed pot with soaking liquid and enough water to cover by 2″
2. Add olive oil, bay leaf, two cloves garlic
3. Raise to a boil; boil for five minutes then simmer until beginning to soften; remove from heat
4. In a separate heavy pot (or same with beans set in a separate bowl), add olive oil and set to medium heat
5. Add onions, and cook until beginning to soften; add garlic, and cook until fragrant
6. Add tomatoes, and stir to combine; add liquid, and simmer on medium heat until it’s become a sauce, adding salt and pepper to taste
7. Add beans (and additional liquid if needed); stir to combine and cook until it’s all soft, adding salt and pepper to taste
8. Enjoy, with fresh crusty bread!

Procedure: Fish

1. Remove fish from fish; rinse, pat dry, cut into four 4 oz filets, and salt with kosher salt, letting rest for half an hour
2. Chop and combine the preserved lemon and olives
3. Preheat oven to 400F
4. Cover the bottom of an oven-safe pan with the Kuru Fasulye, and raise to a low heat on the stovetop (if from the fridge)
5. Remove pan from heat, and place fish filets in it; cover the filets with the preserved lemon-pepper-olive mixture, and place into oven
6. Cook for 15 minutes, or until fish is opaque and flaking
7. Serve in a bowl with the Kuru Fasulye! Some nice hot crusty bread (bonus recipe below!) doesn’t hurt either

No-Knead Deep Wheat Bread

Ingredients

• 4 cups wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cooked barley
• 2 1/4 C water
• 2 Tbsp squash seeds
• 3/4 tsp yeast
• 1 Tbsp salt

Procedure

1. Place seeds and whole grain in a blender and pulse to grind to a coarse meal.
2. Combine ground seeds and grain blend with all remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to blend well.
3. Transfer dough to a second lightly oiled mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap; allow to rise for at least 24 at room temperature (I went almost 48 with great results)
4. Choose a clean tea towel that has a smooth surface (not terry cloth) and sprinkle generously with flour and/or cornmeal.
5. Transfer risen dough sponge from the bowl to a floured work surface with a rubber spatula and fold it over on itself a few times.
6. Rest dough for a few minutes and form it into a ball. Place it, seam-side down, on the towel and wrap the towel loosely over it.
7. Let rise for 1 1/2 hours. Turn on your oven to 500° F and place a cast iron Dutch Oven with a lid in the oven to preheat. Let dough continue to rise for 30 minutes more while the pot heats.
8. Take the pot out of the oven CAREFULLY; using a quick scoop under and flick of your wrist, transfer dough from the towel to the pot, shake the pot so the dough is evenly distributed, cover with the lid, and return to the oven.
9. Reduce heat to 450° F and bake for 30 minutes.
10. Remove lid and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, or until the crust is deep golden brown.
11. Rest the hot loaf for 20 minutes before cutting.