Klasik Tahinsiz Fasulye Piyazı
Klasik Tahinsiz Fasulye Piyazı·(klah-SEEK tah-heen-SIHZ fah-SOOL-yeh pee-yah-ZUH)
Baba'nın Mangalı (The Weekend Grill & Summer Nostalgia)
Drain a can of white beans, pour on a heavy splash of grape vinegar, and treat your onions to a rough massage with salt and sumac to kill their raw bite. Forget the heavy tahini versions; this bright, acidic piyaz is the classic, everyday workhorse of Turkish tradesmen restaurants. Let the beans soak up the vinaigrette until they plump against the sumac-stained red onions. Serve it cold right next to the hot grill grate, the necessary foil to rich, charred meats and the smoke rolling off Baba's backyard mangal.
Ingredients
- canned Cannellini or Great Northern beans30 oz
- red onion1 med
- sumac1 tsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- flat-leaf parsley1 cup
- firm tomato1 large
- eggs2 large
- extra virgin olive oil1/4 cup
- lemon juice3 tbsp
- grape or apple cider vinegar2 tbsp
- Aleppo pepper or Urfa biber1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Massage the onions with sumac and salt.
Place the thinly sliced red onions in a small bowl, sprinkle with the sumac and half the kosher salt, and get in there with your fingers. Squeeze and massage them for about 45 seconds until they soften and release their raw bite. Do not rinse them.
- 02
Combine the beans, tomatoes, and parsley.
Make sure your canned beans are completely rinsed of their starchy liquid and dry. Gently fold them into a wide mixing bowl with the diced tomato, chopped parsley, and your sumac-rubbed onions.
- 03
Whisk the vinaigrette and dress the salad.
In a jar or measuring cup, aggressively whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, Aleppo pepper, and the remaining salt. Pour it over the bean mixture and fold gently with a silicone spatula so you do not mash the beans.
- 04
Marinate before serving.
Let the salad sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes so the beans can soak up the acid and oil. Transfer to a shallow platter and arrange the quartered hard-boiled eggs on top right before serving.
Notes
The dried bean trick.
If you have the time to boil dried beans on a Sunday, drop a thick slice of fresh lemon, rind and all, and a teaspoon of salt into the boiling water. The slight acidity keeps the delicate bean skins intact so they turn creamy inside without bursting.
Dress them hot.
If you boil your own beans, whisk the dressing together and pour it over the beans immediately after draining while they are still hot. Hot starches absorb flavors exponentially better than cold ones.
From Cook Turkish in America.