Slow-Simmered Warm Cannellini Salad with Rosemary
(serves four hungry people with other bits on offer as well)
1 tbsp butter
3 tbps olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
handful fresh rosemary, then chopped roughly
2 soup-cans canellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
4 tbsps grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1/2 bag baby greens (radicchio, arugula, baby spinach, etc)
The key to this dish is be GENTLE, and don’t rush it. You can cook the garlic, rosemary and beans ahead of time (as in an hour or so), but the assembly must wait till right before serving so nothing gets mushy or disintegrates.
Heat the butter and oil and add the garlic and rosemary. On a VERY low heat just barely bubble them till the garlic is soft. Do NOT brown. Then add the beans and stir around, and let simmer super low as long as you want, within reason, as in about an hour TOPS.
Put the breadcrumbs in a skillet on LOW heat and toast them till they’re dry. Again, be patient. Don’t quit toasting them till they’re dry. You want them to float on top of the salad, not absorb any oil. When they’re toasted, take them off the heat and when they’re room-temperature, scatter the cheese on top.
When you’re ready to serve, turn the heat UP and add the greens and breadcrumbs and cheese, and salt and pepper. Toss with tongs until mixed well and serve immediately.
