French Onion Butter Beans

Ingredients

• 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 4 oz oyster mushrooms, torn into bite-size pieces
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 3 cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
• 1½ cups vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup Gruyère
• Salt to taste
• Fresh thyme, for finishing
• Sourdough bread

Steps

1. Caramelize the onions: heat olive oil in a large skillet, add the onions and a pinch of salt, and cook over medium-low heat for 30–35 minutes, stirring regularly, adding 1–2 tbsp water at a time if they start sticking, until deeply caramelized.
2. Add the mushrooms: push the onions aside, add the oyster mushrooms, let them sit for 2 minutes to brown a little, then sauté for another 3-5 minutes and mix into the onions.
3. Build the flavor: add the garlic, thyme and black pepper and cook for 30 seconds; add the broth, Worcestershire, Dijon and balsamic vinegar, scraping up all the browned bits.
4. Add the beans: stir in the butter beans and simmer for 8–10 minutes, mashing about ¼ of the beans directly in the skillet.
5. Make it creamy: reduce heat to low, stir in the milk and simmer gently for 2–3 minutes.
6. Bake: spread the beans into an even layer, sprinkle the Gruyère over the top, and transfer to a 400°F oven for about 8–10 minutes until hot and bubbling, then broil for 1–2 minutes for a browned, bubbly cheese crust. Finish with fresh thyme and black pepper and enjoy with sourdough bread.

The reel

via @recipesbydrritu

Tips

• Taste for salt before it leaves the pan. The pinch is easy to miss.
• Keep ginger and garlic moving in the oil so they toast instead of burn.
• Warm the bowl. A hot dish on a cold plate goes quiet in a minute.

Questions