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Food

Tolosa Black Beans with Chilies, Morcilla, and Cabbage Recipe

Beans really are the magical fruit (or legume, really) in this simple but delicious recipe from Roberto Ruiz, head chef of El Fronton in Tolosa.
Tolosa Black Beans with Chilies, Morcilla, and Cabbage Recipe

Servings: 4
Prep time: 3 hours
Total time: 3 hours

Ingredients

for the beans:
1 pound dry Tolosa black beans (see Chef's Tip)
2 liters cold water
olive oil
pinch of kosher salt

for the sides:
green cabbage
1 Morcilla sausage (Spanish blood sausage)
6 pickled ibarra chilies
Maldon salt
olive oil

Directions

1. Place the dry beans in a casserole that is taller than it is wide and rinse to clean them. Add the cold water and a generous amount of olive oil, and place over high heat. When the water boils, turn heat to medium-low. At no point should you stir the beans with a spoon or other tool—otherwise they will break. To see whether the beans need more water as they cook, just agitate the casserole gently with a circular motion. If they do, pour cold water in very slowly. When the beans are tender (after about two and a half hours), season with a pinch of salt. Leave them to rest in the pot, so the stock thickens.

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2. Cook the green cabbage in boiling water for 5 minutes, then leave to rest in the same pan off the stove for another 5 minutes.

3. Boil the blood sausage in a pan for 20 minutes. Divide into portions as desired.

4. Place the green chilies in a shot glass with a little Maldon salt and some olive oil. Serve alongside a plate with cabbage and sausage, and a saucer of beans.

Chef's Tip: Tolosan beans should never be cooked with another ingredient that will alter their flavour, as they should have the opportunity to offer all their qualities, including colour, texture and flavour.

From MUNCHIES Guide to the Basque Country - Part 4