BIG POT OF BEANS

Big Pot of Beans image

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories beans

Time 1h

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 pound any dried beans
Salt
Olive oil, as needed
Aromatics, such as peeled garlic cloves, a halved onion or shallots, a celery stalk or a carrot
Dried or fresh herbs, such as thyme, sage, oregano or rosemary sprigs, or a bay leaf or two
A hunk of cured sausage, bacon, ham, smoked duck or pork or a Parmesan rind (optional)
Chopped fresh herbs or celery leaves, red-pepper flakes, sliced scallion or red onion, flaky sea salt, for serving (optional)

Steps:

Rinse the beans, then soak them in salted water (it should taste like the sea) for anywhere from 4 hours to 12 hours. If you don't have time, you can skip this step.
Drain beans and put them in a pot or electric pressure cooker. If cooking in a regular pot, add enough water to cover the beans by 2 to 3 inches. If using a pressure cooker, use less water, more like 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Add a drizzle of oil and whatever aromatics and herbs you like. Add enough salt to the cooking water to make it taste like the sea.
If using a regular pot, simmer the beans for anywhere to 30 minutes to 2 to 3 hours, depending on what variety you used, how old they were and whether or not you soaked them. Check on them periodically, adding more water if the level gets too low (as in, lower than the beans). For the pressure cooker, the timing is anywhere from 5 minutes at high pressure to 50 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
Garnish with fresh herbs or celery leaves, sliced onion, if you like, a drizzle of oil, and a sprinkle of red-pepper flakes and sea salt.