Rich Butter Beans with Greens, Toasted Bread, and Aioli

Name: Rich Butter Beans with Greens, Toasted Bread, and Aioli
Total time: 14400 s
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 lb butter beans (baby limas), soaked overnight; Salt, lots of salt; 4 cloves garlic, smashed; Black pepper; 1 lemon; 1 bunch rosemary; 1 bunch mint; 2 bunches oregano; 1.5 cups rendered fat; 2 Tbsp sherry vinegar; 1 bunch greens (turnip, mustard, kale); 1 loaf crusty bread, ripped into small pieces; 2 Tbsp olive oil; 1 egg yolk; 1 garlic clove, grated; 1/2 lemon, juiced; 1 cup olive oil

Lance Wilson @lance_wilson

Nyack, NY

Learned this recipe from Carla at Bon Appetit. It takes a while and uses way more salt than you think it should, but in the end it's a perfect labor of love and is deeply satisfying. I use whatever fat is on hand in my fridge. For this I used beef tallow, leftover bacon grease and duck fat, but you can use whatever you have/can find and make the rest up with olive oil. The charred lemon is legit/assertive and if you dont want that flavor, leave it out

Lance Wilson @lance_wilson

Saved

Ingredients

4 hours

4 servings

1 lbbutter beans (baby limas), soaked overnight
Salt, lots of salt
4 clovesgarlic, smashed
Black pepper
1lemon
1 bunchrosemary
1 bunchmint
2 bunchesoregano
1.5 cupsrendered fat
2 Tbspsherry vinegar
1 bunchgreens (turnip, mustard, kale)
Toasted Bread
1 loafcrusty bread, ripped into small pieces
2 Tbspolive oil
Garlic Lemon Aioli
1egg yolk
1garlic clove, grated
1/2lemon, juiced
1 cupolive oil

Saved

Steps

4 hours

1

Soak the beans in salted water over night. They can be in the pot you cook the beans in. Bring the beans and the garlic to a rolling boil over high heat. Turn the heat off and skim the foam off.
2

Heat a dry skillet over high heat. Sear the lemon halves face down
3

Bring the beans to another boil and skim once more.
4

Wrap the herbs (minus some oregano) in butcher twine to keep them together. Add the herbs, the lemons, pepper, and the fat to the beans. You want enough fat to cover the the liquid completely. Make up any lack of fat with olive oil. Add some salt.
5

Reduce the heat to the lowest possible to maintain a few faint bubbles every few minutes. Slow simmer for at least an hour...maybe 3 until the beans are tender. Continually taste the liquid as they cook adding salt to taste. You may be surprised how much salt they can take.
6

When the beans are done, remove the herb bundle, add the sherry vinegar and the extra oregano sprig. Salt if needed. Cook at the same bare simmer for 10-20 min.
7

Stem the greens and wash to remove sand. Remove the last oregano sprig. Turn the heat off and add the greens.
8

Tear the bread into small pieces. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the bread and toss until crispy. Season with salt.
9

Prepare the aioli. Add the yolk to a bowl. Juice a half lemon and grate a garlic clove. Add the 1 ish cup of olive oil, 1 drop at a time, to the yolk mix. Whisking to incorporate until a lose mayo forms.
10

Scoop the beans into a deep bowl, dollop with aioli and then garnish with the toasted bread.