Gratin Of Black Beans And Corn With Crusty Cheese |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 131 Minutes |
Ready In: 131 Minutes Servings: 12 |
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David Rosengarten Entertains: Fabulous Parties for Food Lovers by David Rosengarten Ingredients:
2 cups dried black beans (soak the beans the night before in water) |
1 onion, about 4-ounces, peeled, kept whole, plus 1 cup 1/4-inch diced onion |
4 cloves garlic, peeled |
2 bay leaves |
kosher salt |
4 cups fresh corn kernals (cut from approximately 8 ears of corn) |
3/4 cup (1 1/2 stickes) unsalted butter |
1 cup 1/4-inch diced green bell pepper |
6 tbs all-purpose flour |
4 cups whole milk, heated |
freshly ground black pepper |
1 lb. sharp cheddar, coarsely grated |
2 tbs butter for greasing the casserole |
Directions:
1. The night before making the casserole, pick over the beans, discarding any stones. Rinse the beans briefly, then cover with water and let sit overnight.
2. The next day, place the beans in a 4-quart pot along with their soaking liquid. Add the whole onion, the garlic, and the bay leaves. Add fresh water to cover the beans by 2-inches. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cover and cook until the beans are tender but not mushy, about 1 1/2 hours. Check during cooking, and add hot water when necessary. When the beans are almost done, add salt. Drain the beans, discarding the water. Discard the onion, garlic, and bay leaves; reserve the beans.
3. Meanwhile, while the beans are cooking, blanch the corn kernels in a large pot of boiling salted water 1 minute. Drain the corn, cool, and refrigerate.
4. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
5. Melt the butter in a 4-quart pot over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and green pepper. Cook until soft, but not brown, about 20 minutes.
6. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the hot milk all at once, stirring vigorously with a whisk. Increase the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
7. Reserve 1 1/2 cups grated cheese; stir the remaining cheese into the milk mixture. When the cheese has melted, fold in the corn and beans.
8. Grease a 3-quart casserole with butter or film with nonstick spray. Place the bean-and-corn mixture in the casserole. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 to 15 minutes. Just before serving, pass under a hot broiler to lightly brown the cheese.
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