Cannellini beans in fish broth and sherry vinegar form a wonderful base for many haute cuisine preparations. The fish broth flavors combine with the complexity of the sherry vinegar and develop into something deliciously umami during the simmering of the beans. The sherry vinegar is a protected regional product from Spain and usually comes from the Jerez region. It has a complex taste pallet, and the acetic acid content is around 7%. Therefore, it is essential to use small amounts. Also, the simmering will be beneficial to boil off some of the acetic acid, which boils a few degrees lower than water. We make the concentrated fish broth ourselves and you can find the recipe here.
This recipe has been developed after I tasted in Michelin starred restaurant Amber in Hong Kong the beans from a henrico vert bean from Normandy, which was also simmered in fish broth and sherry vinegar, with tomato, spiced with Espeletti pepper and capped with snow crab. Extremely sumptuous in taste.
The art of making Cannellini beans in fish broth and sherry vinegar
As it takes considerable time to cook the beans until they are soft, put the beans overnight in water. This will shorten that time. Then the next day drain the beans. Simmer them in a mixture of 1 part concentrated, jelly fish broth and 2 parts water with the lid on a pan. The beans should just be covered by liquid. Add a small splash of sherry vinegar. After 20-30 minutes check the liquid level and if needed add more fish broth and may be some sherry vinegar. The saltiness level is adjusted by a few drops of a good fish sauce, preferably a home-made fish sauce. Remember that sherry vinegar addition is to be followed by some simmering to boil off some of the acetic acid. So be very careful with adding sherry vinegar when the beans are close to doneness.
Special equipment
none
Cannellini beans in fish broth and sherry vinegar
Ingredients
the beans
- 6.5 oz (200 g) cannellini beans
- 1 quart (1 L) (purified) water
cooking liquid
- 7 oz (200 g) concentrated fish broth from white fish make broth from bones and some fish, no salt added; concentrate by cooking water off
- 1 cup water (depends on the concentration of the broth)
- 1-2 tsp sherry vinegar
- 1/2 tsp fish sauce (for bringing the dish to taste at the end
toppings
- 1 leg of snow crab or a piece of white fish
- 4 cherry tomatoes
- whiff of espeletti pepper or smoked paprika
Instructions
cooking the beans
- Place the beans and a quart of water over night in a pan. This will help reduce the cooking time the next day
- Drain the beans and transfer to a pan with a lid
- Add the concentrated fish broth and add so much water that the beans are just submersed
- Bring to a simmer. The first 20 min simmer with the lid on. After 20 min add several drops of sherry vinegar and keep the lid off and some 15 min later again. This will allow for a good part of the acetic acid to evaporate. Keep the beans submersed and add some broth and or water. Taste ,
- The beans must be soft, but not mushy. Bring to taste with some good fish sauce.
preparing the toppings
- Steam the piece of snow crab or the white fish
- You can also add a warmed peeled cherry tomato covered with some espeletti pepper of smoked paprika on top
serving
- Serve the beans luke warm, with the toppings. The umami taste absorbed in the beans is what makes this dish so sumptuous.
Notes
Food allergy & intolerance information: fish
Remarks
- Using a concentrated fish broth is key, and so is the use of sherry vinegar. Even the cheapest sherry vinegars have aged minimally for 6 months and do the job. Also use a good fish sauce, but sparingly. It brings salty, but also umami flavor and combines well with the fish broth flavors.
- A lovely dish can be made by placing a peeled, warmed ripe small tomato, that has been sprinkled with espelletti pepper or smoked paprika powder on the beans. Cap this with a piece of snow crab, for example a leg that has been steamed for 4 minutes.
