Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Beans & Pulses



Haitian cuisine is nothing without its bean sauces.  White rice, Cornmeal, Millet and Bulgur Wheat are always accompanied by a bean or pea sauce.  They serve as the main meal along with a  meat accompaniment and a root or tuber that is serve prior.

Several regions do add coconut milk in their bean sauces to make it richer and more perfumed.  Throughout Haiti the purist of course always add a couple of pieces of salted pork meat with bones to their bean sauce that alone gives it a distinctive aroma which one recognizes miles away.


Pea sauce of course always have more peas left in the sauce than the bean sauces.  A good cook never fail on that factor.  When cooking the beans or the peas do not add salt at the beginning only add salt at the very end otherwise it will toughen the beans and it will take forever to cook.


Bean Sauce (kidney, pinto, black beans etc...)



Yield: 2 cups, 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients:



1 lb small red beans, rinsed and picked over
2 Tbs of oil
1/2 onion, skin removed
2 scallions
parsley
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tsp of butter
2 cloves
3 garlic cloves
1 Chicken bouillon cube
Ham hock or cubes of smoke ham(optional)
olive oil
1 scotch bonnet pepper

Rinse beans, soak overnight. Drain and discard water.

Place beans in large saucepan with the water,  cloves, garlic, onion, parsley, scallion thyme, and oil. Save salt until beans are almost done. Adding salt too soon toughens the beans. Oil keeps the water from boiling over.


cover the saucepan or dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and cook, partially covered, for 1 hour and add the ham-hock in the pot.  After half an hour of  additional cooking or until tender split in the middle remove from heat.


Put half of the beans and 1 cup of the cooking liquid in a blender or food processor, leave ham-hock in pot. puree until smooth. Combine the puree, the whole beans and the remaining cooking liquid in the bowl you used to drain the beans. Add 1 tsp salt, chicken bouillon, a teaspoon of butter, black pepper, scotch bonnet pepper, salt and 1 Tbs of oil and return the pureed beans to fire under medium heat, stirr the sauce to prevent it from creating lump and being stuck on the bottom of the pot.  Let it simmer for 15-30 minutes until it reaches the desired consistency.  Not too liquid not too thick.


OptionalMedium-size chunks of plantains (1 to 3 cm thick) at any stage of ripeness can be added to the sauce. Be careful to check that they are fully cooked (boiled) in the sauce before turning off your stove.  If it is red beans you can add a teaspoon of sugar at the end of the cooking.


Over medium heat cut shallots and cook until light golden brown with the remaining oil and when the bean sauce is done garnish the sauce with the shallots and serve.

Pea Sauce (Green peas, lima beans, pigeon peas)

Yield: 2 cups, 4 to 6 servings 

Ingredients:



The difference with this bean sauce with the previous one is that you always add a tablespoon in this sauce and one can also add pumpkin to make richer and some coconut milk.

1-1/2 lb small green peas, rinsed and picked over
2 Tbs of oil
1/2 onion, skin removed
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
                                                      Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 Tbs ghee
2 cloves
3 garlic cloves
Bouquet Garni
1 Chicken bouillon cube
Ham hock (optional)
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 Tbs of sugar
1 cup of pumkin diced (optional)
(bean can soak overnight to make tender)

Place peas, onion, bay leaf, garlic,  pumkin, hamhock and bouquet garni in a Dutch oven or heavy stockpot and cover with water by about 3 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and cook, partially covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Place a colander over a large bowl and drain the peas leaving 3/4 of the peas in the pot. Measure the bean cooking liquid. You'll need 3 cups. If you have more, boil to reduce to 3 cups. If you have less, add water to equal 3 cups.

Put 1/4 of the peas and 1 cup of the cooking liquid in a blender or food processor. puree until smooth, leave hamhock in pot. Combine the puree, with the other peas in the pot and the remaining cooking liquid in the bowl you used to drain the peas. Add 1 tsp salt, chicken bouillon, 1 Tbs of oil. 1 Tbsp of sugar and return to fire under medium heat.  Let it simmer for 15-30 minutes until it reaches the desired consistency.  Not too liquid not too thick. Do not forget to stirr the pureed beans to prevent it from sticking to the pot's bottom or having lumps.

Serve with white rice or millet

Canilli Bean Sauce


Yield: 2 cups, 4 to 6 servings Ingredients: 



1 lb canelli beans, rinsed and picked over
2 Tbs of oil
1/2 onion, skin removed
2 scallions
parsley
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 Tbs ghee
2 cloves
3 garlic cloves
1 Chicken bouillon cube
Ham hock or cubes of smoke ham(optional)
olive oil
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 Tbs of tomato paste (it gives it a beautiful color)
Ham hock (optional)
1/2 tsp of sugar (optional)
1 scotch bonnet pepper


Instructions

Place beans in large saucepan with the water,  cloves, garlic, onion, parsley, scallion thyme, and oil. Save salt until beans are almost done. Adding salt too soon toughens the beans. Oil keeps the water from boiling over.


cover the saucepan or dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and cook, partially covered, for 1 hour and add the ham-hock in the pot.  After half an hour of  additional cooking or until tender split in the middle remove from heat.


Put half of the beans and 1 cup of the cooking liquid in a blender or food processor, leave ham-hock in pot. puree until smooth. Combine the puree, the whole beans and the remaining cooking liquid in the bowl you used to drain the beans. 


Add 1 tsp salt, chicken bouillon, a teaspoon of butter, black pepper, scotch bonnet pepper, salt and 1 Tbs of oil, the diluted tomato paste in a bit of water and return the pureed beans to fire under medium heat, stir the sauce to prevent it from creating lump and being stuck on the bottom of the pot.  Let it simmer for 15-30 minutes until it reaches the desired consistency.  Not too liquid not too thick.

Serve with white rice or millet