Year of the Bean

It’s a repeat bean but it was the right one for the job!

Ingredients

• 150g Alubia Blanca beans
• 2 duck legs, well seasoned with salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp. mixed aromatics
• 10 green onions, trimmed and cut into 4″ sections
• 2 C. chopped Savoy cabbage
• 2 C. veggie stock
• olive oil
• salt
• black pepper
• bay leaf

Procedure

1. Cover beans, 2 tbsp. mixed aromatics, and bay leaf with 2″ water and a glug of olive oil; raise to a boil and boil for 15 minutes, then cook until tender; add salt to taste and set aside
2. Preheat oven to 400F
3. Heat oil over medium-high in a Dutch oven; add duck legs, skin side down, and cook until nicely browned; turn over and brown the other side, then remove and set aside
4. Drain off most of the rendered duck fat, strain and set aside – this is liquid gold, cook some potatoes in it later!
5. Reheat Dutch oven over medium heat with a bit of remaining duck fat, and add the green onions, cabbage, and a bit of salt; cook until the veggies begin to soften, then add the stock and beans with some of their liquid
6. Put the duck legs back in, careful not to cover too high (the top should be exposed to stay crispy); raise to a simmer and put in the oven
7. Cook for 30 minutes, then lower oven temp to 350F and cook for another 30 minutes
8. Remove the duck legs to rest for 10 minutes, then plate in a wide deep bowl on top of the bean-cabbage-onion mixture.