Potaje De Frijoles Negros
6 to 8 servings
PG Note: This staple of Cuban cooking is simple, delicious and nourishing. Typically it’s served over white rice. When black beans are cooked with the rice, instead of being spooned atop, it’s called Moros Y Cristianos (Moors and Christians). See variation at the end. This makes a great bunch of beans, so for a small family, freeze some of the cooked beans or halve the recipe. The sofrito, a sauteed mixture of chopped onions, peppers and garlic is the flavoring base of many Cuban and Latin American dishes. I didn’t add the sherry vinegar or sugar at the end of the recipe. Basically I forgot, and it was so flavorful it wasn’t necessary.
For the Beans:
1 pound dried black beans, picked over and rinsed well
1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
½ large white onion, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed with a chef’s knife
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 bay leaf
For the Sofrito:
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
½ large white onion, coarsely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ cup dry white wine
¼ cup pimiento stuffed green olives, sliced
1 bay leaf
1 to 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar, optional
Preparation
Soak beans overnight, covered, in Dutch oven with 10 cups water. Don’t drain.
Add next 5 ingredients and bring to boil over high heat in the same soaking water. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, just until beans are tender, checking regularly and skimming off foam, 45 to 60 minutes (mine were tender at 35 minutes).
Meanwhile, make the Sofrito: Heat oil in heavy, medium skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper, onion and garlic and saute until onion is tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add salt, black pepper, oregano and cumin and cook 2 more minutes.
Add Sofrito to the beans. Stir in wine, olives and bay leaf. Bring to a fast simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring frequently, until beans are completely cooked through and broth has thickened, 45 to 60 minutes.
Stir in vinegar, salt and black pepper to taste. Remove from heat, and add sugar, if using. Discard bay leaves. Remove beans from heat
Variations
Moros Y Cristianos
Simmer the beans, green pepper, onion, crushed garlic, olive oil and bay leaf until just tender. Drain the beans and reserve 3 cups of the cooking water. Prepare the sofrito, as directed. Omit wine, olives and second bay leaf.
Combine the beans, reserved cooking water and sofrito in the pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add 2 cups extra-long grain or converted white rice. Return to a simmer, turn heat down to lowest possible setting and simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, 15 minutes before serving.
Frijoles Dormidos
Soak and simmer the beans as directed. Add the sofrito and continue to simmer until thickened then remove from the heat before adding the final seasonings. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate, covered, overnight. The following day, warm the beans over low heat and add salt and pepper (vinegar and sugar optional) as directed.
– Adapted from “The Cuban Table: A Celebration of Food, Flavors and History” by Ana Sofia Pelaez and Ellen Silverman
