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Braised White Beans with Linguiça and Clams

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on April 14, 2021

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Braised White Beans with Linguiça and Clams

Ingredients

Salt and pepper 1 pound (2½ cups) dried cannellini beans, picked over and rinsed1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil ½ cup panko bread crumbs 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus lemon wedges for serving1 pound linguiça sausage, cut into ½-inch pieces1 onion, chopped fine1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine4 garlic cloves, minced1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 tablespoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper ½ cup dry white wine 2 pounds littleneck clams, scrubbed¼ cup minced fresh parsley

Before You Begin

If linguiça is unavailable, substitute chorizo. If you're pressed for time, you can quick-salt-soak your beans: In step 1, combine the salt, water, and beans in a Dutch oven and bring them to a boil over high heat. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans, wipe the pot clean, and proceed with the recipe.

Instructions

  1.  Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 4 quarts cold water in large container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.
  2.  Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add panko and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer panko to bowl and stir in lemon zest and ¼ teaspoon pepper; set aside. Wipe pot clean with paper towels.
  3.  Add sausage to pot and cook over medium heat until rendered and browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, paprika, cayenne, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in 4 cups water and beans and bring to boil. Cover, transfer pot to oven, and cook until beans are almost tender (very center of beans will still be firm), 1 to 1¼ hours.
  4.  Remove pot from oven and increase oven temperature to 350 degrees. Using wide, shallow spoon, skim excess fat from surface of beans. Nestle clams, hinge side down, into beans. Cover, return pot to oven, and cook until clams have opened, 35 to 45 minutes.
  5.  Remove pot from oven and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Discard any clams that refuse to open. Stir parsley into panko mixture. Sprinkle individual portions with panko mixture and serve with lemon wedges.
Braised White Beans with Linguiça and Clams
Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Chantal Lambeth.

Braised White Beans with Linguiça and Clams

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

Salt and pepper
1 pound (2½ cups) dried cannellini beans, picked over and rinsed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus lemon wedges for serving
1 pound linguiça sausage, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup dry white wine
2 pounds littleneck clams, scrubbed
¼ cup minced fresh parsley

Ingredients

Salt and pepper
1 pound (2½ cups) dried cannellini beans, picked over and rinsed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus lemon wedges for serving
1 pound linguiça sausage, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup dry white wine
2 pounds littleneck clams, scrubbed
¼ cup minced fresh parsley

Ingredients

Salt and pepper
1 pound (2½ cups) dried cannellini beans, picked over and rinsed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus lemon wedges for serving
1 pound linguiça sausage, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup dry white wine
2 pounds littleneck clams, scrubbed
¼ cup minced fresh parsley

Why This Recipe Works

While white beans are usually matched with rich meats in a braise (think cassoulet), we paired them with briny clams and smoky linguiça sausage for a Portuguese-inspired meal that was satisfying without being too heavy. We browned the sausage in our Dutch oven, added a hefty amount of aromatics, spices, and tomato paste for a deeply flavorful backbone, stirred in white wine and water, then slowly braised the beans in the oven until tender. We chose dried beans so they could absorb the flavorful braising liquid and in turn thicken the sauce by releasing their starch. We tucked clams into the beans partway through cooking, which prevented them from turning rubbery. A quick topping made from toasted panko and lemon zest added brightness and crunch to the dish.

Before You Begin

If linguiça is unavailable, substitute chorizo. If you're pressed for time, you can quick-salt-soak your beans: In step 1, combine the salt, water, and beans in a Dutch oven and bring them to a boil over high heat. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans, wipe the pot clean, and proceed with the recipe.

Instructions

  1.  Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 4 quarts cold water in large container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.
  2.  Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add panko and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer panko to bowl and stir in lemon zest and ¼ teaspoon pepper; set aside. Wipe pot clean with paper towels.
  3.  Add sausage to pot and cook over medium heat until rendered and browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, paprika, cayenne, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in 4 cups water and beans and bring to boil. Cover, transfer pot to oven, and cook until beans are almost tender (very center of beans will still be firm), 1 to 1¼ hours.
  4.  Remove pot from oven and increase oven temperature to 350 degrees. Using wide, shallow spoon, skim excess fat from surface of beans. Nestle clams, hinge side down, into beans. Cover, return pot to oven, and cook until clams have opened, 35 to 45 minutes.
  5.  Remove pot from oven and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Discard any clams that refuse to open. Stir parsley into panko mixture. Sprinkle individual portions with panko mixture and serve with lemon wedges.

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