Świetne, troche marudne, ale bardzo smaczne.
The beans will keep for three days in the refrigerator before you dispatch them into the oven. If sensible, you may want to thin them out with a little water or broth.
Serves four
- 250g (about 250 ml) white beans, rinsed, picked over and soaked for six hours or overnight in 1 litre of water
- Salt to taste
- 60 ml olive oil
- 1 litre chopped celery, including the leaves
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 240 ml can tomato sauce, or 2 tablespoons tomato paste diluted in 230 ml water
- a handful of finely chopped parsley (to taste)
- Juice of 1 to 2 lemons, to taste
- Drain the beans, and combine in a large saucepan with enough water to cover by 5 cm (3 fingers?).
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, add salt to taste, cover and simmer until the beans are just tender, about 45 minutes to an hour.
- Do not let the beans boil hard or they’ll fall apart before they’re cooked through.
- Drain the beans over a bowl. Here you can stop, store the beans tightly covered in the fridge, come back tomorrow; otherwise go right ahead..
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet, and add the celery and a generous pinch of salt.
- Cook, stirring often, until it just begins to soften, about three minutes, and add the garlic.
- Stir together for a minute, until the garlic is fragrant, and remove from the heat.
- Preheat the oven to 350F/175C.
- Place the beans in a large baking dish, preferably earthenware, and toss with the celery and garlic, the remaining olive oil and the tomato sauce or diluted tomato paste.
- Add enough of the drained broth to cover by an inch, and stir in the remaining olive oil.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil, and place in the oven.
- Bake one hour, or until the beans are soft and creamy.
- Uncover the beans, stir, and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add a tablespoon or 2 of lemon juice, or more if desired, and adjust salt and pepper.
- Serve hot, warm or room temperature, with a little more olive oil drizzled over the top if desired.