Flageolet Gratin

Name: Flageolet Gratin
Ingredients: 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 small sprig rosemary; 1 chile de árbol, crumbled; 1/2 cup diced onion, plus 5 cups thinly sliced onions; 1/2 cup diced fennel; 3 cloves garlic, smashed; 2 tablespoons thyme leaves; 1 bay leaf; 1 1/2 cups dried flageolets (See Sources); 5 tablespoons unsalted butter; 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs; 2 teaspoons chopped flat-leaf parsley; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

January 24, 2012

Every time I make this flageolet gratin, I think about my first days at Chez Panisse. Everything went smoothly the first week. It seemed my studying—I had read La Varenne Pratique cover to cover and was working my way through Larousse Gastronomique—had paid off, until one of the cooks asked me to go and get a bag of “flageolets” from the storeroom. All of the blood rushed to my face. Too embarrassed to admit I didn’t know what he was talking about, I scurried away, hoping for divine intervention. In my panic, I spotted a French cookbook and quickly read that flageolets were dried kidney-shaped French beans. I found the beans in the pantry, wiped the sweat from my brow, and rushed back to my station. Saved— until the next time!

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