Monday, June 10, 2013

Not Yo' Mama's Franks and Beans


From the kitchen ofOne Perfect Bite...The Silver Fox and I are both active people, who have, unfortunately, been cursed with appetites that are in sync with the physical effort we expend. I'm not a person generally given to envy, but I do begrudge those who appetites diminish with exercise and other physical activity. Though we have learned to be self-regulating eaters, our summer meals rarely showcase salad as a main course. I still serve soups and stews, though they are lighter than their winter counterparts. The recipe I'm featuring tonight falls into a category that Rachael Ray calls a stoup. A stoup is a casserole-type dish that is thinner than a stew but thicker that a soup. They lack the rib-sticking heaviness of their winter counterparts, but they are substantial enough to satisfy a hungry crew after a day on the water. Now, I'm not sure the folks at Bon Appetit would categorize their bean and sausage creation as a stoup, but it really falls into that category. I really like this dish and I think you will too. it is easy to make and darned near foolproof if it is made with fresh herbs. I'm not much into absolutes, but dried herbs simply will not work in this dish. I have made just one small change to the original recipe. I wanted the dish to have a bit more body to it, so I worked a tablespoon of flour into the butter enrichment that is added just before the stoup is served. The beurre manié does the trick and thickens the sauce so it barely coats a spoon. The herbs and sausage carry the flavors in this dish, so use the best that you can get your hands on. The dish comfortably feeds four when it is extended with a salad and good bread. I really hope you'll give this recipe a try. You won't be sorry. Here is how this stoup is made.

Franks and Beans...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Bon Appetit magazine

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, smashed
1-1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage links (about 6), divided
2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed
1 cup dry white wine
10 flat-leaf parsley stems
10 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (such as oregano, flat-leaf parsley, and tarragon), divided
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1) Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5-8 minutes. Remove and discard casings from 2 sausages; add sausages to pot. Cook, breaking up with a spoon, until sausages and onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
2) Add beans and wine to pot and cook until wine is reduced by half, 8-10 minutes. Using kitchen twine, tie parsley and thyme into a bundle; add to pot along with bay leaves and broth. Cook on medium-low heat, partially covered and stirring often, until liquid thickens, 40-50 minutes. Discard bundle and bay leaves. Mix butter with flour to form a paste. Stir into bean mixture along with 2 tablespoons chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
3) Meanwhile, after beans have been cooking for about 25 minutes, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook remaining sausages, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Slice.
4) Divide bean mixture among bowls. Top with sausage slices and remaining 1 tablespoon chopped herbs. Yield: 4 servings.

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16 comments :

Life's a shoe said...

yummy!

Alicia Foodycat said...

That does sound good - loads of flavour!

Big Dude said...

Love your title Mary and this is a far cry from the Beanie Weenies we ate as kids. Looks delicious

Unknown said...

This is definitely not the frank and beans I remember eating growing up, but that's a good thing :) Although, it's just too hot here to enjoy soups (at least for us), I am definitely putting this one on the back burner and will try when the weather isn't so ... well... hot!!

What's next said...

I love soups and stews, another one for summer will be a nice addtition to the "what will I cook tonight". Thanks

Red Nomad OZ said...

HAhaha! I thought I'd invented that word way back when I was 6 years old!!! I guess I was wrong ...

David said...

Mary, Sounds great to me but I think that I'll substitute hot or spicy Italian sausage instead of the sweet variety. Thanks and Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Arlene Delloro said...

This is right up my alley, Mary, and to make it Weight Watcher friendly, I'm going to try it with Italian style turkey sausage. Can't wait.

Ginny Hartzler said...

I used to watch Rachel's Food Network Show, back when she was just getting popular, and well remember her term STOUP, also garbage bowl, and quite a few other terms she coined.

Bites from life with the barking lot said...

Oh! I love these kinds of meals in the summer also. Have everything here to make this and will do this week. thank you so much for this!

Beth said...

This sounds delicious! One question...
I'm kosher, so I can't use butter (dairy) with meat in the same meal. What could I use in place of the butter here?

Thanks!

Mary Bergfeld said...

Beth, I was unable to comment om your blog. Hopefully, you'll come back here for the answer to your question. I've been told that a product call Earth Balance works, but so would olive oil chilled until it thickens and cannot be poured. Hope this helps. Mary

Daniela Grimburg said...

That's perfect for next weekend.
My husband and son will watch a very important soccer game on Sunday and they are both hearty eaters.
So your stoup is the perfect treat for the occasion :)

Mr. & Mrs. P said...

So rustic and comforting... Looks delicious

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Katie C. said...

@Beth - mash up 1/4 to 1/2 of the beans with the back of a fork (on a flat plate) before you add them to the stoup and it should thicken up nicely. It's a trick some people use in some lower calorie soup recipes.

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