Flageolet Beans

[Richard Kilgore]

I picked up some Flageolet Beans at CM, but have never cooked them before. Any suggestions for basic cooking technique? The Russ Parsons method, or some other treatment?

And how do you use them? What do they complement particularly well?

Thanks,

Richard

[reesek]

richard - this looks good. i'd serve with halibut, but braised lamb would be mighty tasty too.

roasted tomato & flageolet

[rancho_gordo]

Flageolet are mild but hold their shape. I'd cook them in more than just water as they really are mild- chicken stock, a little wine, celery/carrot/onion, or a combination of any of those.

They are mild and soft but they do hold their shape, so that's why they are popular in slow cooked casserole type things. Also fine in salads.

I also hear the French puree them and then settle a nice piece of fish on top.

They soak up lamb juices mighty well!

[carswell]

Assuming these are dried, cook them as follows: Pick over the beans, removing foreign matter and damaged beans. Rinse well. Cover with cool water and oak for a few hours or overnight in the fridge (some people skip this step; I find the beans cook more evenly if you don't). Drain. Cover well with cool water. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer. Skim until there is no more scum. If you like, add a bouquet garni (fresh thyme, a bay leaf, parsley stems wrapped in cheesecloth or a leak "leaf") and aromatic vegetables (carrot, halved onion stuck with cloves, garlic, leek). Simmer until tender, usually 1-2 hours. Don't add salt until toward the end; it toughens the skins.

Flageolets are a traditional accompaniment to lamb roasts and sautés. I also like them with duck confit and full-flavoured sautéed fish like salmon. Just reheat them in a bit of their cooking juice or cream, with or without some diced cooked bacon. For a Lyonnaise version, sauté onions in butter before adding the beans, cover, heat through and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Another favourite prep is a gratin: place the drained beans in a baking dish, add some cream, sprinkle with unflavoured bread crumbs, dot with butter and heat until bubbling (if the bread crumbs begin to darken past golden brown, cover the dish with aluminum foil). You can also purée them, though that fate is usually reserved for white beans.

Edited September 14, 2004 by carswell (log)

[Carolyn Tillie]

Cassoulet. Cassoulet. Cassoulet.....

[carswell]

Cassoulet. Cassoulet. Cassoulet.....

←

You're opening a real can of worms here, Tillie! Heated debate about the proper bean for cassoulet is a longstanding tradition in France (if I recall correctly, Root discusses it in detail in The Food of France). Most modern day French recipes I've seen call for lingot or tarbais beans, though the much rarer haricots de Pamiers are said to be best due to their skin's resistance to splitting. The most common North American substitute is great northern or white kidney beans. The thing all these beans have in common is that they're white. But I've never seen anyone propose making cassoulet with little green flageolets. OK, I stand corrected: googling turns up 126 pages. Still, pretty small potatoes in the scheme of things, no? Are you talking about the big white lingots du nord, which are sometimes called flageolets blancs, or the genuine article, the small, pale green flageolet?

Edited September 14, 2004 by carswell (log)

[Carolyn Tillie]

You're opening a real can of worms here, Tillie! Heated debate about the proper bean for cassoulet is a longstanding tradition in France (if I recall correctly, Root discusses it in detail in The Food of France). Most modern day French recipes I've seen call for lingot or tarbais beans, though the much rarer haricots de Pamiers are said to be best due to their skin's resistance to splitting. The most common North American substitute is great northern or white kidney beans. The thing all these beans have in common is that they're white. But I've never seen anyone propose making cassoulet with little green flageolets. OK, I stand corrected: googling turns up 126 pages. Still, pretty small potatoes in the scheme of things, no? Are you talking about the big white lingots du nord, which are sometimes called flageolets blancs, or the genuine article, the small, pale green flageolet?

←

You are indeed correct! I was referring to the lingots du nord which I know as flageolets blancs... Good catch, Cars!

[carswell]

You are indeed correct! I was referring to the lingots du nord which I know as flageolets blancs...

←

Whew! Now all we need to do is find out whether RK's flageolets are green or white. I've been assuming the former.

Speaking of green cassoulet, a French cookbook I recently acquired, Le meilleur de la cuisine française, has a recipe for cassoulet toulousain aux fèves made with fresh fava beans. The recipe looks good — though the thought of skinning 1.2 kg's worth of shelled favas gives pause — but, to go by the picture, the end result doesn't look like cassoulet. Not only is the dominant colour emerald green, there's no hint of a crust!

[Richard Kilgore]

Thanks everyone. I have found nothing on Flageolets in my vegetable reference books or Thompson's Oxford Companion To Food. I wonder why? Does anyone know the origin of these beans? Old World rather than New World, I assume?

The salt at the start vs the end of cooking came up on the Beans, What Do We Know About Them? thread, and the evidence for New World beans is salt at the start. Different for these, and if so why?

[carswell]

Thanks everyone. I have found nothing on Flageolets in my vegetable reference books or Thompson's Oxford Companion To Food. I wonder why? Does anyone know the origin of these beans? Old World rather than New World, I assume?

The salt at the start vs the end of cooking came up on the Beans, What Do We Know About Them? thread, and the evidence for New World beans is salt at the start. Different for these, and if so why?

←

All haricot-type beans are descended from New World varieties. According to the Larousse Gastro, they were brought to Europe in the 1400s. Pope Clement VII may have indirectly introduced them to France, as he gave some to his niece, Catherine de' Medici, as a present when she wed the future Henri II. Contemporary descriptions make them sound like romano or cranberry beans. "Flageolets ... were produced by chance in 1872 by Gabriel Cheavrier, who lived near Arpajon [in Brittany]. (Flageolets are therefore also known as chevriers in France." Arpajon remains a centre of production.

Salting on the basis of the bean's origin is new to me. Looking through a few cookbooks, the only mention of the issue I find is in Chez Panisse Vegetables: "Do not salt simmering dried beans until at least halfway through the cooking, since salt inhibits water penetration, lengthening the cooking time and, depending on the bean, toughens the skin." Will read through the referred thread when I can find half an hour...

Edited September 14, 2004 by carswell (log)

[rancho_gordo]

Carswell wrote:

You're opening a real can of worms here, Tillie! Heated debate about the proper bean for cassoulet is a longstanding tradition in France (if I recall correctly, Root discusses it in detail in The Food of France).

Are the cooks in France who might use flageolet?

I'm glad to know it's not in stone, even in France. I sell flageolet at farmers market and go through the list of thier uses and often mention cassoulet. Every few weeks I get a Tarbais person who enjoys roasting me over the mistake. All I can say is I don't know of domestically produced tarbais and you can bet your sweet pot liquor that the French aren't sending their best and freshest over for us to enjoy. Since the flageloet can hold up to lots of cooking and like to take on the flavors of other things in the pot, I don't think it's such a sin to substitute. To me, it certainly makes more sense to sub flageolet before Great Northerns or generic "white beans".

I've had tarbais once at Carrie Tillie's. It's got a dense, wax potato feel and taste to it. A flageolet is milder and softer. If you're looking for a domestic, fresher sub for the hard to find and $$$ tarbais, I'd suggest Jacob's Cattle a/k/a Trout bean. They are used in baked beans is some parts of the east.

Salting on the basis of the bean's origin is new to me.

I think that was theory, not fact. Interesting thread though, isn't it?

[curlywurlyfi]

once cooked they are very nice with garlic, double cream and a little chopped sage stirred in. this goes v well with chicken roasted with tomatoes round.

[fifi]

once cooked they are very nice with garlic, double cream and a little chopped sage stirred in.  this goes v well with chicken roasted with tomatoes round.

←

I never thought of double cream in beans. That is totally new to me. Anything with double cream has to be good. I will have to try that. No... Richard, you try it and report back. The sage sounds like a good idea.

The famous (or infamous) dried bean thread is here. There was some discussion about old world versus new world beans and the relation to salting but I don't think we ever reached any conclusions.

[Susan in FL]

I never thought of double cream in beans. That is totally new to me. Anything with double cream has to be good.

It is... This week I had some mixed in with a cannellini bean soup that I made, and with some white truffle oil drizzled on top. That might be good with Flageolets, too.

[carswell]

I'm glad to know it's not in stone, even in France. I sell flageolet at farmers market and go through the list of thier uses and often mention cassoulet. Every few weeks I get a Tarbais person who enjoys roasting me over the mistake. All I can say is I don't know of domestically produced tarbais and you can bet your sweet pot liquor that the French aren't sending their best and freshest over for us to enjoy. Since the flageloet can hold up to lots of cooking and like to take on the flavors of other things in the pot, I don't think it's such a sin to substitute. To me, it certainly makes more sense to sub flageolet before Great Northerns or generic "white beans".

←

While the French may not agree on which bean is best for cassoulet, I've never heard or seen anyone suggest using green flageolets. Googling recette flageolets cassoulet (i.e. recipe flageolets cassoulet) returns 86 hits. Looking at the relevant pages, I found several that contained references like "lingots du nord (flageolets)," "flageolets (type Soissons)" and "flageolets blancs," all of which are larger white beans, not the tiny pale green flageolets. Only one recipe, found on several sites, called for unspecified flageolets, and that was a vegetarian cassoulet involving olives and potatoes and baked for a grand total of 45 minutes. Also, as the Larousse Gastro entry points out, green flageolets are of Breton origin, with the modern day production centres being there and in central France, whereas cassoulet is a dish of the southwest. I'm having dinner tomorrow at Le P'tit Plateau, whose chef, Alain Loivel, hails from Bordeaux; I'll get chapter and verse from him and report back. In the meantime, maybe Paula Wolfert will see this thread and chime in.

Some French websites refer to American tarbais beans but I've never encountered any on this side of the pond. That said, a wide variety of French-grown dried beans can be purchased here in Montreal, often labelled with the year of harvest. I don't find them in any way inferior to those sold in France. Pricier, yes, inferior, no. Usually I make make cassoulet with French lingots du nord, which I buy in bulk. I'll be keeping an eye peeled for the haricots de Pamiers, though.

None of which is to say you're wrong in preferring green flageolets for your cassoulet. Unorthodox, maybe. But if it feels good...

If you're looking for a domestic, fresher sub for the hard to find and $$$ tarbais, I'd suggest Jacob's Cattle a/k/a Trout bean. They are used in baked beans is some parts of the east.

Am unfamiliar with the trout bean. Will keep an eye peeled for that, too.

I think that was theory, not fact. Interesting thread though, isn't it?

Dunno. Work has kept me from reading it. But will do so soon (thanks for the link, Fifi!).

Edited September 17, 2004 by carswell (log)

[rancho_gordo]

carswell wrote:

That said, a wide variety of French-grown dried beans can be purchased here in Montreal, often labelled with the year of harvest. I don't find them in any way inferior to those sold in France. Pricier, yes, inferior, no. Usually I make make cassoulet with French lingots du nord, which I buy in bulk. I'll be keeping an eye peeled for the haricots de Pamiers, though.

I'm sorry- I did the very bad thing of assuming you were in the states. It would make sense that you have easy access to good French things.

None of which is to say you're wrong in preferring green flageolets for your cassoulet. Unorthodox, maybe. But if it feels good...

It's not that I prefer it or that it's authentic anywhere, only that as a substitute when the real thing is nowhere in sight, it's a better choice than some other suggestions based on the qualities of the bean.

Just to confuse thing more, and please, I bow to anyone's knowledge of French food before my own, I've also grown a purple bean called a Merlot flageolet and another time a yellow flageolet. I've never known what to do with them.

Edited September 17, 2004 by rancho_gordo (log)

[Busboy]

While the French may not agree on which bean is best for cassoulet, I've never heard or seen anyone suggest using green flageolets. Googling recette flageolets cassoulet (i.e. recipe flageolets cassoulet)  returns 86 hits. Looking at the relevant pages, I found several that contained references like "lingots du nord (flageolets)," "flageolets (type Soissons)" and "flageolets blancs," all of which are larger white beans, not the tiny pale green flageolets. Only one recipe, found on several sites, called for unspecified flageolets, and that was a vegetarian cassoulet involving olives and potatoes and baked for a grand total of 45 minutes. Also, as the Larousse Gastro entry points out, green flageolets are of Breton origin, with the modern day production centres being there and in central France, whereas cassoulet is a dish of the southwest. I'm having dinner tomorrow at Le P'tit Plateau, whose chef, Alain Loivel, hails from Bordeaux; I'll get chapter and verse from him and report back. In the meantime, maybe Paula Wolfert will see this thread and chime in.

Some French websites refer to American tarbais beans but I've never encountered any on this side of the pond. That said, a wide variety of French-grown dried beans can be purchased here in Montreal, often labelled with the year of harvest. I don't find them in any way inferior to those sold in France. Pricier, yes, inferior, no. Usually I make make cassoulet with French lingots du nord, which I buy in bulk. I'll be keeping an eye peeled for the haricots de Pamiers, though.

None of which is to say you're wrong in preferring green flageolets for your cassoulet. Unorthodox, maybe. But if it feels good...

Am unfamiliar with the trout bean. Will keep an eye peeled for that, too.

Dunno. Work has kept me from reading it. But will do so soon (thanks for the link, Fifi!).

←

You can also cook up a pretty decent flagelot stew and avoid the whole "proper" cassoulet debate by throwing some duck confit, lamb sausage and whatever other tasty scraps you have around the house into some beans, onions, garlic and tomatoes. Doesn't really matter what you call it, after all, as long as it tastes good. I did this last spring to use up some over-salty confit and it was delish.

[Wolfert]

www.frenchselections.com and chefshop.com carry the buttery fleshy tarbais bean in season. I've bought from both and they are of red label quality. If it has the red label on it you are getting the good stuff.

www.ivillage.com used to carry the lingot bean which is the best substitute. Haven't been back to look. Whatever you use you want a thin skinned bean that doesn't fall apart even when reheated.

I'm going to try the Jacob\trout asap..

Has anyone ever tried cannelini as a substitute?

[carswell]

Has anyone ever tried cannelini as a substitute?

←

Hi, Paula,

As mentioned above, I went to Le P'tit Plateau last night (had a fabulous confit of lamb shank, a new dish that's quickly become one of the resto's best sellers). Chef Loivel confirmed that green flageolets are inauthentic for cassoulet. He also said that for cost reasons (imported tarbais and lingots would bust his budget), he's turned to cannelini, which he called rognons (kidneys). In terms of taste, he thinks they're fine if less refined than the classic French beans. His main problem is that there's no way to tell how old they are, and old beans cook unevenly and have a gritty/mealy texture. After much experimentation, he has developed a cooking method that overcomes the problem (I can vouch for the results). I didn't try to pry it out of him, but if you'd like me to try, I'm game.

[Wolfert]

Yes, by all means ask him. It would be useful for all of us...

[Richard Kilgore]

Thanks everyone. I ended up doing a stew with onion, garlic, carrot, tomato, chicken broth, bouquet garni and some left over lamb loin chops. Very nice. The flageolet beans do have a different quality than if I had used great Northerns or Navy beans. I will use them again and try some of the other ways you have suggested.