Zeytinyağlı Barbunya Pilakisi
(zayt-in-yah-luh bar-boon-ya pee-lah-kee-see)
Zeytinyağlılar (The Cold Olive Oil Table & Fridge Mains)
Late on a weeknight, the kitchen is quiet, the stove is off, the bottom shelf of the fridge holds the actual dinner. A cold Tupperware of supermarket cranberry beans sits in a pool of olive oil, getting better by the hour. Shelling fresh beans is a romanticized labor trap. A bag of frozen borlottis from your local Middle Eastern market or a couple of high-quality cans will get you exactly where you need to be on a rainy Tuesday in Ohio. The secret to the zeytinyağlı tradition is strictly in the technique: pre-boil the beans to ditch the murky water, hold back half your olive oil until the heat is off, and let the pot cool entirely before eating. Squeeze a lemon wedge over the bowl and eat them straight from the fridge.
Ingredients
- fresh or frozen cranberry beans1 lb
- extra virgin olive oil1/2 cup
- yellow onion1 large
- garlic4 med clove
- carrot1 med
- Yukon Gold or Russet potato1 med
- tomato paste1 tbsp
- ripe tomato1 large
- granulated sugar1 tsp
- fine sea salt1 tsp
- bay leaf1 med
- hot water1 1/2 cup
- lemon1/2 med
- fresh flat-leaf parsley1/2 bunch
- lemon1 med
Method
- 01
Purge the beans of their dark, bitter water.
If using fresh, frozen, or soaked dried beans, place them in a medium pot covered with 2 inches of cold water, boil vigorously for 10 minutes until the water turns a murky brown, then drain and rinse briefly under cold water.
- 02
Build the aromatic foundation with a fraction of the oil.
In a wide, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat exactly half (1/4 cup) of the olive oil over medium heat. Sweat the finely diced onions for 4 to 5 minutes until translucent, without browning, then add the garlic and stir for one minute until fragrant.
- 03
Fry the tomato paste to cook out the raw flavor.
Push the onions to the side, add the tomato paste to the center of the pot, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly until it smells deeply roasted.
- 04
Sauté the root vegetables from hardest to softest.
Add the diced carrots, stirring to coat them in the red oil for 3 minutes to release their color, then fold in the diced potatoes and cook for 2 more minutes.
- 05
Introduce the liquids and aromatics.
Stir in the grated fresh tomato, cook for 2 minutes, then add the par-boiled beans, sugar, salt, and bay leaf. Pour in 1 1/2 to 2 cups of hot water—just enough to reach the level of the beans without completely submerging them.
- 06
Simmer gently until tender and creamy.
Bring to a gentle boil, immediately drop the heat to its lowest setting, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the carrots and potatoes are completely soft and the sauce is a velvety gravy.
- 07
Finish with fresh oil and lemon off the heat.
Turn off the heat completely, then immediately pour the remaining 1/4 cup of raw extra virgin olive oil over the top and add the lemon juice. Gently fold it in once to avoid mashing the beans; this late addition preserves the oil's grassy, fruity aroma.
- 08
Let the pot steep and cool naturally.
Do not serve this hot. Put the lid back on and leave the pot on the stove until it reaches room temperature, allowing the starches to settle, the flavors to meld, and the oil to emulsify with the broth.
Notes
Adapting for canned beans.
If fresh or frozen cranberry beans aren't available, substitute two 15-ounce cans of high-quality borlotti or pinto beans. Drain and rinse them well, skip the initial 10-minute purge, and only fold them into the pot during the last 10 minutes of simmering so they hold their shape.
A winter tomato substitution.
If making this in the dead of winter when fresh tomatoes are pale and flavorless, swap the grated fresh tomato for 1/2 cup of high-quality canned crushed tomatoes or passata.
From Cook Turkish in America.