Gratin of White Beans with Dandelion Greens & Garlic Sausage

From the blog For Love of the Table

1 cup Great Northern beans, soaked over-night

6 T. Olive Oil, divided

1 well-branched sprig of thyme

1/2 medium onion (red or yellow), finely diced

2 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1/2 T. minced Thyme

1/2 c. diced tomatoes (can use canned plum or a 6 oz. vine ripe, peeled, seeded neatly diced)

1 bunch of Dandelion greens, stems cut off where the leaves start (discard the stems—you should have a scant 2 oz. trimmed greens), leaves and remaining tender ribs cut cross-wise into 1/2-inch wide ribbons and thoroughly rinsed

6 to 8 oz. garlic sausage, browned and sliced into fat chunks on a slight diagonal

1/2 to 3/4 cup toasted breadcrumbs (see below)

Drain and rinse the beans. Place them in a large saucepan and cover with fresh water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and skim off the foam that has risen to the surface. Add 2 T. of olive oil and a sprig of thyme. Cook the beans at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender. Or, place the soaked, drained beans in a shallow gratin, drizzle with the olive oil and add a sprig of thyme. Cover with boiling water by an inch, cover the pan with a tight fitting lid, or a piece of foil. Transfer to a 325° oven and bake until tender. Whether you cook the beans on the stove top or in the oven, they will take about an hour and 15 minutes to cook. Add salt to taste when the beans are half cooked. Beans may be cooked ahead. Cool the beans in their cooking liquid.

To prepare the gratin, warm 2 T. of olive oil in a wide sauté pan. Add the onion, minced thyme and some salt. Gently sweat the onions until they are tender and translucent (about 10 minutes). Add the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the greens along with a ladleful of the bean cooking liquid and cook until the greens are wilted and tender. Taste and salt as necessary.

Drain the beans and save the cooking liquid. Add the beans to the onion mixture and toss to distribute all of the ingredients evenly. Heat through. Transfer to a 1 1/2 to 2 quart gratin (or other shallow baking dish). If using, tuck the sausages into the beans so that they are level with the surface. Ladle over enough bean liquid to almost cover. Drizzle the remaining 2 T. of olive oil over the gratin. (You may prepare the gratin to this point up to a day in advance. Refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before continuing.) Cover the top of the gratin with the toasted breadcrumbs. Bake the gratin in a 350° oven until bubbling and golden brown on top (about 45 minutes). Check the gratin occasionally while it bakes. If it appears to be drying out too much, add more bean liquid. If not browned to your liking when it is bubbling and hot through, briefly run under the broiler until the crumbs are tinged with golden brown. Serves 2 to 3

Notes & Variations:

Use a precooked sausage such as Kielbasa, Linguiça or Aidells Roasted Garlic & Gruyère Chicken Sausage (my favorite)
To make a simple side dish of beans and greens, simply omit the sausage. Without the sausage, the gratin will serve 4 to 6 as a side dish.
You may use any kind of white bean that you prefer...Cannellini, Flageolet, etc. Just be aware that not all varieties will cook in the same amount of time as the Great Northerns.
You may use greens other than dandelions. A small bunch (or half a bunch, if you prefer) of chard or kale (any kind) will work. If you use a whole bunch, you will have about twice as much trimmed weight as with the dandelions. For the both chard and kale, remove all of the ribs/stems. The chard may be added exactly as the dandelions. The kale should be blanched since it takes much longer to cook. To blanch it, drop the clean, trimmed and sliced kale in boiling, salted water and cook until tender. Drain and spread on a baking sheet to cool. Add to the onion and tomatoes and heat through.
To make toasted breadcrumbs, use the food processor to process sliced/torn "day-old" bread (crusts removed if they are very hard) until bread is in uniform soft crumbs. Spread crumbs on a rimmed cookie sheet and “toast” in a 350 degree oven until golden brown and dry, stirring occasionally (about 10 minutes). Drizzle crumbs with olive oil and toss to combine. Crumbs can be used immediately or cooled and stored airtight at room temperature for a week or so...or frozen for longer.
Recipe is easily doubled. Use a 3 quart gratin/shallow baking dish.

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As published on forloveofthetable.com