Flageolet beans

[Odsox]

Does anyone know how to cook fresh flageolet beans ?
I loved tinned flageolets when I lived in France and now I have a glut of "gone over" climbing french beans.
I still have a big jar of dried beans from last year so I thought I would try the shelled beans fresh.
But all the references I can find for flageolets are for dried ones.
I can of course cook them by trial & error, but it would be nice to get instructions from someone who has done it before.

[marshlander]

Posted this link just the other day http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/product ... index.html

[Odsox]

Yes, but that is just what I mean.
Those cooking instructions are for DRY beans and I'm looking for FRESH beans.
I will probably treat them like broad beans or peas, but I just hoping that someone had actually cooked them before.

[ina]

We used to cook climbing beans that had gone too far regularly at home; can't remember anything special about them - just chuck in some water and boil until ready! Or steam, if they are still quite tender.

[Graye]

Flageolet beans are normally only found in the UK dried or tinned. If I buy them fresh in France I just use them like fresh broad beans but they need less cooking. I found this recipe which might give you some ideas even if you don't care for the other ingredients!

Pan Fried Cod with Flageolet Bean, Pancetta & Rosemary

200g fresh flageolet beans
4 x 170g pieces cod fillet
55g butter
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
100g smoked pancetta, cut into dice and fried until crisp
200ml chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp rosemary, finely chopped
4 rashers pancetta, cooked until crisp
3 tbsp double cream
1 tbsp olive oil



Melt half the butter in a sauté pan, add the onions and garlic and sweat in the butter for 5 - 10 minutes until soft but not coloured.
Add the flageolet beans and rosemary and coat in the onion mixture, then add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Add the cream and boil for a further 2 minutes, then add the pancetta and cook until heated through.
Season with sea salt and black pepper, taking care as the pancetta can be salty.

Meanwhile, pan fry the fish in the olive oil and remaining butter for 3-4 mins each side until golden brown and just cooked.
Serve on a bed of the flageolet beans and garnish with a rasher of the crispy pancetta.

[Odsox]

Thanks all. I think I will steam them for about 10 mins and see what they are like.

[contadina]

You lucky thing, I adore flageolet beans but you can't get them in southern Italy. I've cooked fresh ones in the past and they take anything between 12 and 20 minutes to boil (depending on how much they've dried on the plant).