White Bean Aioli Recipes

Steps:

• Drain the soaked chickpeas and combine with the water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, add salt to taste, reduce the heat and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until tender.
• Steam the beans or blanch in salted boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes, until just tender. Refresh with cold water, drain, break in half or cut into 2-inch lengths and set aside.
• Place a colander over a bowl and drain the chickpeas. Combine with the beans in a large salad bowl. Add the parsley, chives or scallions, and radishes. Season with fresh lemon juice if desired.
• If the aioli is very thick, stir in 2 to 4 tablespoons of the hot bean broth. If it is not, discard the bean broth. Toss the aioli with the chickpeas and beans. Add more broth if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• On the night before you serve the grand aioli, gently season the cod with kosher salt on both sides; cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 400. Place beets in a small roasting pan. Coat the beets in 4 tablespoons of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the red-wine vinegar and 4 tablespoons water to the pan. Cover with foil, and roast until beets are tender, approximately 1 hour. Check beets halfway through cooking, and add more olive oil and water if the roasting pan looks dry. Remove beets from oven, and uncover the pan. Cover the beets with a clean kitchen towel, and let them stand at room temperature until cool enough to handle. Using the kitchen towel (or paper towels) to help you, rub off the outer skin of the beets. Peeling the beets while they are still quite warm makes the otherwise difficult task easy. Set aside the peeled beets until completely cool, then halve or quarter, depending on the size.
• Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water, and bring to a boil. Season aggressively with salt. In this case you want the water even saltier than the sea. It should nearly make you pucker when you taste it. Be sure to taste it!
• Lower the heat so that the water is at an energetic simmer. Add the potatoes, and cook until easily pierced with a skewer, approximately 12 minutes. Remove from the simmering water with a slotted spoon, and transfer to a sheet tray lined with a clean kitchen towel to cool.
• Add the green beans and wax beans to the simmering water, and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes, depending on thickness. Remove using a slotted spoon, and transfer to the sheet tray to cool.
• Add the zucchini to the simmering water, and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon, and transfer to the sheet tray to cool.
• Turn the heat up on the pot of water, returning it to an aggressive boil. Gently lower the eggs into the boiling water using a slotted spoon, being careful not to crack their shells. Cook 10 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water, and peel them quickly under cool running tap water. Cut them in half lengthwise.
• Once the vegetables are cool, slice the potatoes in half. If the zucchini are very small, you can leave them whole, otherwise halve or quarter them lengthwise.
• Fill a large bowl with cold water, and drop in the radishes. Agitate the radishes to help shake loose any sand, then let it settle on the bottom of the bowl. Lift the radishes out, and set aside. Repeat this process 2 or 3 more times, using fresh water each time, until the radishes are clean and free of sand. Let dry, then halve or quarter, depending on their size.
• Cut the little gem lettuces in half, and drop into a large bowl of cold water. There should be enough room in the bowl so that the lettuces float easily in a single layer. Let stand for 5 minutes so that any sand drops to the bottom of the bowl, then gently lift the lettuces out, and set aside. Repeat this process 2 more times, using fresh water each time, until the lettuces are clean and free of sand. Pat dry or spin gently in a salad spinner.
• Scrub the mussels under running water, and debeard them. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high in a pot large enough to hold the mussels in a single layer. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the garlic, shallot, thyme sprigs and chile flakes. Let the aromatics toast, but not brown, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes.
• Add the mussels, then pour in the wine. Cover the pot with a tightfitting lid, and steam 2 minutes. Check the mussels, and remove any that have opened to a platter. Continue cooking, removing each mussel as it opens so they do not overcook. Discard any that do not open after 10 minutes. Set mussels aside to cool.
• Arrange a steamer basket in a large pot, and fill with 1/2 inch of water; bring to a simmer. Arrange cod in steamer (cut into large pieces, if necessary), and cover with the lid or foil. Gently steam until just cooked through, about 7 minutes. Remove the cod from the steamer, and set aside to cool.
• Grate the garlic into the bowl of a food processor using a microplane. Add the whole egg, egg yolk, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of water and a generous pinch of kosher salt. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the oil. The aioli will start to thicken and emulsify after a few minutes. If the aioli is too thick, add another tablespoon of water to loosen. Taste the aioli, and adjust for seasoning, adding more salt, lemon juice or microplaned garlic, as needed.
• On several large platters arrange all the beautiful ingredients in neat but loose bundles. Serve with the aioli for dipping.

Steps:

• Combine the beans, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl to get everything.
• Preheat a small pan over low heat.
• Cook the garlic in the olive oil for about 3 minutes. (You want just to gently heat it, not brown it.).
• Add the garlic and oil to the mixture in the blender and puree.
• Taste for salt, pepper and lemon and adjust to your liking.
• Transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Steps:

• Roasted Garlic Aioli:
• Puree the garlic in a food processor. Add the mayonnaise and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• White Bean & Chickpea Broth:
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and saute the garlic until lightly toasted. Add the wine and cook until dry. Add the stock and 1 cup of the chickpeas, raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and puree in a food processor. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Add the remaining chickpeas, the white beans, and thyme and cook 5 minutes over medium heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Snapper:
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof saute pan until almost smoking. Season the fillets with salt and pepper to taste, place them skin-side down in the pan and saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Turn the fillets over and place the pan in the oven and continue cooking for 5 to 6 minutes. Ladle broth into large, shallow bowls. Place a few tablespoons of sauteed spinach in the center and place the fillets on top and garnish with thyme sprigs and serve aoili on side.

Steps:

• Combine the beans, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl to get everything. Preheat a small pan over low heat. Cook the garlic in the olive oil for about 3 minutes. You want just to gently heat it, not brown it. Add the garlic and oil to the mixture in the blender and puree. Taste for salt, pepper and lemon and adjust to your liking. Transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.