Fagioli nel “Fiasco”
Preparation time: 15 minutes and overnight soaking
Cook time: 4-5 hours
Ingredients:
- 500g dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight
- 175ml Filippo Berio Toscano Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 10 sage leaves, bruised
- 8 peppercorns
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Method (with a flask)
Into a large heatproof bottle put the drained beans, 100ml Filippo Berio Toscano Extra Virgin Olive Oil, garlic, sage, peppercorns and seasoning. Add enough water to cover the beans by 1cm. Put the cork / greaseproof paper in the neck of the bottle - ensuring the steam is able to escape.
Put a folded tea-towel in the bottom of a large pan and stand the bottle on top of it. Add water to the pan to the fill level of the bottle. Cook over a low head for about 5 hours - adding more hot water to the pan as necessary. Do not add water to the bottle of beans.
When the beans are cooked, turn off the heat and allow them to stand for 15 mins before serving. Finish with a generous drizzle of Filippo Berio Toscano Extra Virgin Olive Oil and season to taste.
Method (without a flask)
Put the drained beans into a large heavy based pan holding about 3-4 litres. Add 100ml Filippo Berio Toscano Extra Virgin Olive Oil, garlic, sage, peppercorns and seasoning. Cover the beans with 1½ cm of water, then add a layer of crumpled parchment paper on top.
Cook for 4-5 hours adding more hot water if required. When the beans are cooked allow to stand off the heat for 15 minutes. Carefully remove and discard the cooking paper.
Finish with a generous drizzle of Filippo Berio Toscano Extra Virgin Olive Oil and season to taste.
Wine tip:
The delicate sweet sensation of the beans combines well with a softer red wine with good alcohol content and mild tannins, perhaps a young Morellino di Scansano DOCG.
Did you know:
Traditionally these beans were cooked overnight in a cooling wood-fired bread oven. As soon as the fire had gone out, but while the oven was still very hot, the flask was placed in the oven. Then next day, the beans would be perfectly cooked.
You can cook the beans in any large heat-proof bottle ideally with a wide opening (for getting the beans in and out). The bottle will need to be closed, but must have a vent to allow the steam to escape. You can use crumpled grease-proof paper for this.
Alternatively, you can cook them without a flask, in a casserole pot on top of the stove or a slow cooker.
