Dear Blue Le Chasseur Pot,
I’ve always really liked you. You make your presence known when I lift you out of the cupboard, your heaviness straining my arms and reminding me how safe you will make the ingredients that I place inside you.
When I bought you I was on route to a place in the mountains. A log cabin that still holds secrets and memories – first encounters, cold mornings, red wine and creaking walls. That first time you held tomatoes, wine, vegetables and meat and slowly cooked ragu for four hours on top of the fire.
After many years and countless journeys you now reside in a new kitchen full of light and possibility. In the cool autumn weather of Melbourne, you rejuvenate dried beans in a gentle smoky sauce that encourages me out into the world in the morning.
- Soak 1 cup of red kidney beans and 1 cup of dried borlotti beans in plenty of water for at least 12 hours. Drain, rinse and then bring to the boil in a large pot of water.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain.
- Meanwhile finely slice 1 large onion and sauté in 1 tbs of olive oil.
- Add 1 large pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander and 3 teaspoons of smoked sweet paprika.
- Mix for 1 minute until fragrant then add 2 tins of chopped tomatoes, 3 tins of water and the drained beans.
- Bring to the boil and then simmer over a gentle heat for 2 hours or until the beans are tender. Stir every once in a while.
- Once the beans are tender, season with salt and pepper and if there is still a lot of liquid remaining increase the heat to medium and allow some of the liquid to evaporate. Stir regularly and keep an eye on your beans – it’s easy for them to become burnt on the bottom of the pan at this stage.
- Once most of the liquid has evporated, you will have a thick sauce coating the beans.
- Place a serve of the beans in a ramekin, creating a little well in the centre with a spoon
- Crack one or two eggs into the centre and bake in a pre-heated moderate oven for at least 15 minutes until the eggs are cooked to your liking.
- Serve topped with chopped herbs, non-seedy baked sauce and sourdough toast.
Makes six serves.
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This entry is what goes on the back of your book perhaps …. I wonder what it will be called ? friends with food comes to mind but it is far more than that ….
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