Recipe(tried): White Beans Braised in a Flask Under Cinders (stove or oven variations included)

A few weeks ago, I borrowed a friend's copy of, Regional Foods of Northern Italy, Recipes and Remembrances by Marlena De Blasi. I made the following recipe along with the one for Ribollita alla Fattoressa, (The Twice-Cooked Soup of the Farmwife). Both recipes were outstanding and I have since purchased my own copy of this cookbook, used, off the internet. I plan to make many more of the recipes from this cookbook.

I have now made the bean recipe twice, both times using the oven method and fresh rosemary and sage from our herb garden. The first time I used my pressure cooker to do a quick-soak of the beans, the next time I soaked them overnight the traditional way. Each time I then boiled the soaked beans for an hour, drained them, added 2 cups fresh water and brought them to a simmer. I transferred them and their water to a covered oven-proof casserole and baked for 2 hours at 300 degrees F. The house was indeed perfumed with the enticing aromas of rosemary, sage and olive oil. The beans were divine, bringing back wonderful memories of our travels to Tuscany.

FAGIOLI AL FIASCO SOTTO CEUERE
WHITE BEANS BRAISED IN A FLASK UNDER CINDERS
Servings: 6

"This is the most Florentine dish of all beans, beautiful white creamy beans, braised through the night in a flask buried in the dying ash of an evening's fire. When they are cooked in a terra-cotta pot (fagioliere) on top of the stove or in the oven, with the addition of a little tomato, they are called Fagioli all'Uccelletto-beans braised like little birds."

12 ounces dried white cannelloni beans, soaked overnight (or "quick-soaked" in a pressure cooker)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 branch of rosemary
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
6 to 8 leaves fresh sage
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

Drain the beans and cook them in boiling, salted water for 1 hour; drain them again.

Place the beans in a round-bottomed Chianti bottle or other similarly shaped vessel. Add 2 cups of water and the oil, rosemary, garlic and sage. Fashion a stopper for the bottle with a piece of cloth, to allow the steam to escape without exploding the bottle. Bury the bottle in the ashes of the fireplace and go to bed.

Upon awakening, you will find the house perfumed, the oil absorbed into the beans, and the water vaporized. Remove the stopper and pour the beans into bowl, salting and peppering them generously. Remove the rosemary and garlic and add a few more drops of oil.

Serve the beans at room temperature, warmed, or even cool with chunks of warm bread and a glass of Chianti.

To cook the beans on top of the stove, follow the recipe, (soaking and boiling the beans), but, (then), braise them over a low flame, the liquids barely moving, for 2 hours or bring them to a simmer and place them, (covered), in a 300 degree oven for 2 hours.

The addition of 1/2 cup finely chopped, peeled and seeded tomatoes along with the water, garlic, oil and herbs is wonderful.