Provençal Tomato and Bean Gratin
- Total Time
- About 4 hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1pound (2 heaped cups) chick peas, borlotti beans or pinto beans, washed, picked over and soaked for six hours or overnight
- 2onions
- 2whole cloves
- 4 to 6large garlic cloves (to taste), 2 crushed, the rest minced
- A bouquet garni made with a couple of sprigs each parsley and thyme, a bay leaf and a Parmesan rind
- Salt to taste
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 228-ounce cans chopped tomatoes, with juice
- 1tablespoon tomato paste
- ⅛teaspoon sugar
- ½teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch of cayenne
- Freshly ground pepper
- ½cup freshly grated Gruyère, or a combination of Gruyère and Parmesan (2 ounces)
- ¼cup fresh breadcrumbs
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
138 calories; 5 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 572 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Cut one of the onions in half, and stick a clove into each half. Chop the other onion. Drain the soaked beans and combine with 2 quarts water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam, then add the halved onion, the crushed garlic cloves and the bouquet garni. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add salt to taste, and continue to simmer for another 30 to 60 minutes, until the beans are tender but not mushy. Remove from the heat, remove and discard the onion and the bouquet garni, and drain over a bowl. Measure out 3 cups of the cooking liquid, taste and adjust salt. Set aside.
- Step 2
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, and add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the remaining garlic, and stir together until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, cayenne and salt to taste. Cook, stirring often, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down somewhat and smell very fragrant. Stir in the beans and 3 cups of their cooking broth (refrigerate the rest if you are making this ahead; you may need it for thinning out). Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes, until the mixture is thick and fragrant. Stir often so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Add pepper, taste and adjust salt and garlic.
- Step 3
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 3-quart gratin or baking dish. Spoon the tomatoes and beans into the baking dish. Combine the breadcrumbs and cheese in a bowl, and toss with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle in an even layer over the beans. Bake 30 minutes, or until the top is browned and the gratin is bubbling. Serve hot or warm.
- Advance preparation: The beans can be cooked a day or two ahead through step 1. The dish benefits from being made one or two days ahead through step 2.Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.
Private Notes
Comments
Used three 15 ounce cans tomatoes per 1 pound dried beans -- seemed like enough and I was right.
Cooked small red beans in pressure cooker for 10 minutes at high pressure with natural release. Perfect!
Used 1.5 ounces Gruyere for less than half the recipe and that was barely enough . Prefer more cheese.
Still a light dish even with the higher cheese ratio.
I have been cooking this recipe as written for a couple of years. I freeze dinner sized portions before the last step, then top with bread crumbs and bake as needed. These beans go really well as a side dish with herbed marinated chicken thighs or a piece of seared tuna. I also put in the Parmesan rind while the beans are cooking with the tomatoes. Great recipe- well worth the effort, and it freezes well.
Good, but too much liquid.
I've used Martha Rose Shulman's recipes for decades, sometimes as inspiration to modify to use what's on hand. Cut this in half, used Mayocoba beans (8 oz dry) I had pre-cooked, sliced leek not onion in step 2 because it needed to be used, tomato passat w/diced fennel instead of canned tomatoes for the same reason and a little bean broth as needed. I wanted this drier than photo. Made in All Clad 10" braising pan then straight to oven for less clean up. Thrifty, comforting good eats.
I start beans from dry, but realizing that instruction in this recipe might stop some people who only use canned beans from making this dish, the 1 lb of dried beans is equivalent to about 4 cans (14 or 15 oz) of beans. (Drain and rinsed if using them.) A can of beans is about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups of cooked beans. 1/2 cup of dried beans = about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 C cooked depending on variety. I'm using Mayocoba beans (Primary Beans & Rancho Gordo sell them) in this as good alternative to pinto.
This was quite tasty, though I’d give it 4 stars rather than 5 since it’s not spectacular but does take a fair amount of time. I made many alterations based on comments — love the comments so much! — used 3 14 oz cans of tomatoes, increased all spices, used homemade stock instead of water and added back in 2 cups of the stock rather than 3. Most importantly, I used a rather obscene amount of cheese. If I had used only the a,Lunt called for, I think this dish would have been rather bland.
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