Creamy Flageolet Beans, French Style

Total Time: 1 hr 55 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 500 g dried flageolet beans
• 1 bulb of garlic, cloves peeled
• 2 -3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 200 g creme fraiche
• 40 g fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 lemon, juice of
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

Recipe

• 1 place the beans in a large bowl, cover with plenty of cold water and leave to soak overnight (you can also soak these in the morning if you are eating in the evening).
• 2 drain the beans, place them in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, bring it to the boil and then drain them; repeat, covering the beans with plenty of cold water and adding the garlic, thyme, and bay leaf; simmer the beans for 1 ½ hours until very tender, topping up the pan with boiling water if necessary.
• 3 check the beans after 1 ¼ hours; when ready they should be tender and creamy-textured inside,
• 4 drain the beans, reserving a mug of cooking liquor and discarding the herbs; return the beans and garlic to the saucepan, stir in the crème fraiche with a little of the liquor and parsley and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
• 5 if you prepare these in advance, add a little more of the cooking liquor when reheating.