The following excerpt and recipe for Dreamy White Beans with Smoky Mayo is from Michal Korkosz's new cookbook "POLISH'D: Modern Vegetarian Cooking from Global Poland," available now on Amazon.  

It amazes me how people treat beans differently depending on how they are served. When beans are in a soup or stew, they are often considered boring. But when beans are bathed in olive oil and various spices and served alongside a glass of natural wine, they suddenly become the coolest. These are such beans. The trick is to cook them in an aromatic broth instead of water. You’ll want to serve them as a snack at all your parties.  

Dreamy White Beans with Smoky Mayo

  • Prep Time:15 mins
  • Cook Time:1 hr 20 mins
  • Total Time:1 hr 35 mins
  • Servings:4
  • Medium

    Ingredients

  • 2 cups white beans
  • 1 leek halved lengthwise
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 1 garlic head with the top cutf
  • 1 bunch mixed herbs like thyme marjoram rosemary
  • 2 tsp fine sea salt plus more if desired
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice plus more for serving
  • 1 garlic clove smashed
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil or olive oil plus more for serving
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika plus more for serving
Photo by Michał Korkosz

  • Step 1

    Place the beans in a large pot and cover with 4 cups water. Let soak overnight or for at least 12 hours. (The beans will cook faster and be more digestible the next day.)

  • Step 2

    Drain the beans and place them back in the large pot. Add the leek, red onion, garlic head, and mixed herbs. Cover with enough water to submerge the beans. Add the salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low. Remove the leek, red onion, garlic, and mixed herbs and save them for another use. Simmer the beans, uncovered, until they are tender and creamy, 80-90 minutes.

  • Step 3

    Meanwhile make the smoky mayo. Whisk the egg yolks, lemon juice, garlic clove, and salt in a deep, medium bowl. Combine the vegetable oil and rapeseed oil in a measuring cup with a spout. In a slow, steady stream, add the oil mixture to the egg mixture, about 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly. To make this process easier, place a damp kitchen towel under the bowl to stabilize it while whisking, as you’ll be using both hands. Make sure each addition is completely incorporated before stirring in more. It will be a saucy mayo; if you prefer it thicker, add more oil. Mix in the smoked paprika.

  • Step 4

    Serve the beans on a small plate. Top with a scoop of the mayo, drizzle with lemon juice and rapeseed oil, and sprinkle with smoked paprika and a bit of salt.

Recipe from Polish’d: Modern Vegetarian Cooking from Global Poland © Michał Korkosz, 2023. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available everywhere books are sold. theexperimentpublishing.com