Ayocote Blanco from North America
A Mexican favourite for more than...
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A delicate cannellini bean grown from Italian seed, this prized cultivar is named in honour of late cookery legend Marcella Hazan, author of the fabled ‘Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking’ and a noted bean evangelist. The Heirloom Bean Co sources these and a range of other Phaseolus beans from North American bean specialist Rancho Gordo, founded in the early 2000s by Steve Sando to preserve and promote traditional and rare bean varieties of the Americas. |
Cultivated in California from Italian Sorana seedstock, this is a connoisseur’s cannellini: its tender skin shrouds a silken, creamy interior. As a benchmark Tuscan bean, the Marcella exudes a mild, nutty sweetness that makes it a classic choice for pasta e fagioli, and classic regional bean stews. They’re also the perfect complement to lighter dishes such as roasted fish or braised vegetables.
Images & cooking instructions © Rancho Gordo Inc.
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Kitchen Suggestions
Beyond pasta e fagioli, Marcellas are the soul of a classic fagioli all'uccelletto, braised with tomatoes, garlic and sage. They make an elegant side, simply cooked with a bay leaf, garlic and a sprig of rosemary, and finished with a drizzle of top-notch extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of flaky salt. Marcellas are also very much at home in a vegetable minestrone or Tuscan-style ribollita bread soup, or tossed with tuna, red onion and a light vinaigrette for a truly moreish salad.
Cooking these beans - the Rancho Gordo method
Check beans for debris, and rinse thoroughly. In a large pot, sauté aromatic vegetables (onions, garlic, celery, carrot etc.) in olive oil. Add beans and enough water to cover by about 2 inches/5cm. Bring to a full boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, using a lid to help regulate the heat, and gently cook until done, 1 to 3 hours. Salt when beans start to soften. A pre-soak of 2 to 6 hours will lessen the cooking time.
Recipe ideas
Rancho Gordo’s Marcella Beans and Cauliflower in a Lemon Caper Sauce
Rancho Gordo’s Minestrone with Marcella Beans and Savoy Cabbage
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Ingredients
Marcella Beans
Similar to: Alubia Blanca, Cannellini, Navy, Great Northern
Latin name: Phaseolus vulgaris
Country of origin: USA
Sold in resealable 1lb (453g) bags
