Rao's Escarole and Beans

By á-2825

This recipe is from Rao's Cook Book

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 cups cooked cannelloni beans
• 1 cup reserved bean broth
• 8 cups Chicken Stock, or canned chicken broth
• 2 large bunches of escarole, cooked and chopped
• salt and Pepper to taste
• Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for topping

Preparation

Step 1

1. Wash escarole in cold water. Cut off tough stem end and remove any damaged leaves.

2. Tear into medium sized pieces and boil in salted water for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and submerge in cold water to stop the cooking process.

3. Drain. Squeeze the excess water out and blot dry. You can cover and refrigerate the escarole if not needed immediately.

4. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes until golden brown

5. Stir in the beans. Add the stock, escarole, and salt and pepper. Lower the heat and cook for about 5 minutes or until hot, adding additional stock if you prefer a thinner soup.

6. Serve garnished with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

COOKING DRIED BEANS:

Before cooking, dried beans must be presoaked in ten times as much water as beans, for a minimum of 4 hours, preferably 8.

Drain the beans and place in a large saucepan with cold water (or unsalted broth), to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer for about 1&1/2 hours or until tender, adding liquid as necessary so that the fully cooked beans are in a nice rich broth. Do not add salt or any acidic liquid or vegetables to uncooked beans or the beans will be tough. To be safe, add all seasonings, including salt, after the beans have softened.

If you do not have time to prepare dried beans, canned beans, particularly cannellini beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas, are of high quality and can be used as substitutes.