A hearty and aromatic dish featuring butter beans and chestnuts, flavored with onion, garlic, and warm spices.
20 minutes
A hearty and aromatic dish featuring butter beans and chestnuts, flavored with onion, garlic, and warm spices.
Large Onion, chopped
each
tablespoons
Garlic Clove, finely chopped
each
Frozen Chestnuts, defrosted
cups
Cinnamon Stick
each
Cloves
each
to taste
to taste
Butter Beans, drained
0 oz
tablespoons
1. Sauté Onion
Begin by heating the olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and fry it gently until it turns soft and translucent, releasing its natural sweetness and flavor.
2. Add Garlic
Next, add the finely chopped garlic to the pan. Stir it in, cooking just until its fragrance fills the kitchen, which should only take a minute or so. Be careful not to let the garlic brown.
3. Introduce Chestnuts and Spices
Now, it's time to introduce the chestnuts, along with the cinnamon stick, cloves, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Add enough water to cover the chestnuts, then simmer the mixture. If you’re using frozen chestnuts, allow them to simmer for about 10-15 minutes until they become tender. If using vacuum-packed chestnuts, a shorter simmer will suffice.
4. Add Butter Beans
Once the chestnuts are tender, stir in the drained butter beans or navy beans. Let everything cook together for another 5 minutes, giving the beans time to heat through and absorb the aromatic flavors from the chestnuts and spices.
5. Finish with Olive Oil
Finally, serve the dish by drizzling it with a generous splash of extra virgin olive oil. This last touch of richness rounds out the flavors beautifully, making the dish perfect for a warm, comforting meal. Enjoy your Andalusian Butter Beans with Aromatic Chestnuts hot, straight from the pan to the serving dish.
Choose high-quality, dried butter beans and soak them overnight to ensure even cooking and superior texture. If short on time, the quick-soak method can be used.
Cook the sofrito of garlic, onions, and tomatoes low and slow to allow sugars to caramelize without burning, building a flavor foundation for the dish.
Allow the beans to simmer gently for a long time to become tender without falling apart and to meld the flavors.
Use fresh herbs and toast spices before grinding to release essential oils and maximize flavor. Consider growing your own herbs like thyme and rosemary.
Introduce ingredients in stages, starting with spices in the sofrito, then beans, followed by chestnuts, to enhance the depth of flavor.
Comments (0)