food photos

Tangerine Cake with Citrus Glaze (2)Tangerine Cake with Citrus Glaze (1)Mustazzoli - Honey Cookies (1)Mustazzoli - Honey Cookies (2)Mark Bittman's Free-Form Apple Tart (1)Mark Bittman's Free-Form Apple Tart (2)Birthday Apple Tart (1)

recent posts

See ya’, January!

Date: Jan. 31st 2008
Category: Flavour of the Month
Email This | Add to del.icio.us

bean-fritters-1borders.jpg

January, it’s been fun!

While I haven’t done all that much baking or cooking, I have been enjoying the lovely bean (thanks to my Flavour of the Month) and generally enjoying the first month of 2008. But January, it’s time for us to part ways.

Before you go, I wanted to send you off with one last tasty treat from Judith Barrett’s Fagioli: The Bean Cuisine of Italy. These little gems are called White Bean and Onion Fritters.

Until we meet again, January …

Ciao!

White Bean and Onion Fritters
From Fagioli: The Bean Cuisine of Italy by Judith Barrett.

bean-fritters-2borders.jpg

Note: Depending on the size of your bean patties, you should get anywhere from 8 to 16 fritters.

1 cup dried cannellini beans (soaked overnight)
3 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for frying
1 small onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Place the beans in a large pot and cover with 6 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer beans uncovered for about an hour. The beans should be tender.

Drain the beans and place them in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the beans are broken down and you have a puree. Place the puree in a large bowl.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet and then add the onion. Saute until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes or so. Remove the onions from the heat and add to the puree. Season with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons of the all-purpose flour to the mixture. Stir everything together until you have a smooth mixture.

In the same skillet, add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle some flour on your hands and begin forming the puree into balls the size of golf balls. Don’t worry if it’s sticky.

Place the balls of puree in the flour and lightly coat them, all the while pressing down to form a patty (about half an inch thick).

Heat the olive oil and when hot, begin adding the patties. Cook them for about 5 minutes on each side. Resist the temptation to move them constantly as they fry. After each batch, you will have to add some more olive oil to the pan.

Once cooked, place the fritters on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil. Sprinkle with a bit more salt and serve warm.

Enjoy!

29 Comments

JEP

01/31/08 at 5:57 pm

Love this because it is sooo different! What’s a good go-with? Do you dip them?


01/31/08 at 7:25 pm

You know I made a Nigerian dish like this called Akra with black eyed peas for New Years. We soak and grind the beans. Actually no pre cooking. Then we add peppers,spices,dried shrimp, onions, etc and fry them up. Its amazing how vastly diffrent cultures have simalarities with their cusine,


01/31/08 at 8:45 pm

These sound really delicious. Are they just pan fried, or is it more like deep fried? And I, too, am curious about what to serve them with.


01/31/08 at 9:18 pm

these look really delicious!


02/1/08 at 12:20 am

Bean fritters? Another way for me to enjoy them! They look great.


02/1/08 at 5:26 am

Love the fritters — I will mention it in my friday food blog round-up. Thanks for a great recipe!


02/1/08 at 6:22 am

I love this idea! I make a white bean dip to spread on bread that is very similar. Frying it into a fritter is genius! I think you could use canned beans too, couldn’t you? I cannot find dried cannellinis here.


02/1/08 at 6:28 am

Those sound surprisingly easy to make, sound amazing, look amazing, and probably taste amazing. :o

That sounds like a good starter for the next time I have company…


02/1/08 at 6:38 am

Can you believe? Already February?? Crazy crazy!

Lovely fritters, and happy February to you. Of course, it will be even faster.


02/1/08 at 7:53 am

Oh I love learning new fritter recipes!! Thanks!


02/1/08 at 7:53 am

What a wonderful way to prepare beans! I think my vegetarian granddaughter would love these.


02/1/08 at 8:32 am

My family would love these! They look delicious.


02/1/08 at 9:21 am

What wonderful fritters! I love beans so much… With some beetroot salad or some coleslaw, they would taste great!

Cheers,

Rosa


02/1/08 at 9:49 am

They look lovely!!


02/1/08 at 10:42 am

mmm…this is how i like my veggies…fried! ;)


02/1/08 at 11:50 am

Thanks for highlighting the versatility of beans - one of the most economical and versatile foods a home cook can add to his or her repertoire!

I think these would be great served as an entree with a tomoatoey sauce. Gawd! I’m so hungry right now just thinking about it!


02/1/08 at 2:04 pm

All of your food looks so yummy! Just wanted to tell you I mentioned you on my blog as one of my favorite blogs to read!


02/1/08 at 6:40 pm

these look delicious. do you think it would be a sin to use canned cannellini beans and start from the processor step? i have a thing against waiting and a can of beans in the cabinet screaming for use :)


02/1/08 at 7:28 pm

I would never have thought to make fritters from beans. They look good. Nice and golden brown and crispy on the outside.


02/1/08 at 8:34 pm

Oh, my! These are so on my list of things to make. They look unbelievable. Bravo!


02/1/08 at 10:59 pm

i *love* this - crispy and comforting.

i was actually thinking of making a canellini spread with banga cauda blended into it this weekend, and now i’m thinking some of it needs to turn into fritters. what a great supper with a simple salad!


Us vs. Food


02/2/08 at 3:32 am

I must try to make it …sounds delicious .Easy and quick is my size


02/2/08 at 9:51 am

Oh Ivonne. I just love you and your bloggy ways.

As a fan of all things frittered, I’m wondering if I can make the case that these are allowed in my new health regimen…


02/2/08 at 9:30 pm

What a tasty recipe!


02/2/08 at 9:35 pm

These have been bookmarked for the future. They look so creamy and delicious inside witrh that crispy coating on the outside…mmmmmm.


02/3/08 at 12:23 am

This is so going to be made next week with my mom! Just mouth watering, finger licking good!


02/3/08 at 1:50 pm

Anything with white beans - and especially these! Wow, they look good!
Must go fix dinner, just tried to eat computer screen…


02/10/08 at 12:11 am

Ivonne ~ I also have this book, yet I have never noticed this recipe. Isn’t it funny how fresh eyes can make you see something you’ve often stared at and not yet seen? I’m surprised that no rosemary is used in this dish…Rosemary and white beans go together so well. Do you think other beans and legumes, like chickpeas, could be substituted for the white beans? A great recipe, and your result is mouth-watering, as always. Oh…goodbye January…I’m now almost 30-years-old + one month…….


08/9/08 at 4:57 pm

[…] White Bean Fritters Source: Cream Puffs in Venice […]

Post a Comment

extras

Magazine Mondays

Click here for more info!

Subscribe

By Email:


By Feed:

RSS   Atom

before you go...