The Small Batch 25 · No. 7 of 25

1. No.7Photo: Rancho Gordo

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   Royal Corona Beans

   From Rancho Gordo · Napa, California · @rancho_gordo

   Steve Sando started selling heirloom beans at the Napa farmers market because he couldn't find any worth eating. Rancho Gordo now works with growers in the US and Mexico on varieties that had nearly disappeared, and its bean club has a famously long waiting list.

   Beans the size of your thumb that cook up like butter. A bowl of these with pesto made me take beans seriously.

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   Royal Corona beans with pesto

   2 hr 30 min, plus soaking · serves 6 · Big, creamy beans simmered slowly with aromatics, then tossed warm with pesto and a splash of their own cooking liquor.

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   You need

   • 1 lb (450 g) Rancho Gordo Royal Corona beans
   • ½ onion
   • 2 garlic cloves
   • 1 bay leaf
   • 3 tbsp olive oil
   • Kosher salt
   • For the pesto: 2 packed cups (50 g) basil leaves
   • ⅓ cup (45 g) pine nuts, toasted
   • 1 garlic clove
   • ½ cup (40 g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more to serve
   • ½ cup (120 ml) olive oil
   • 1 lemon

   How to make it

   1. Rinse the beans and soak them in plenty of cold water for 6 to 8 hours.
   2. Drain, put them in a heavy pot with the onion, garlic, bay leaf and olive oil, and cover with fresh water by 2 inches.
   3. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes, then turn down to the gentlest simmer, partly covered. Cook until creamy all the way through, 1½ to 2½ hours, adding hot water as needed. Salt well in the last 30 minutes.
   4. For the pesto, pound or blitz the basil, pine nuts, garlic and a pinch of salt, then stir in the Parmigiano and olive oil.
   5. Lift the beans out with a slotted spoon, keeping the liquor. Toss them warm with the pesto and a few spoonfuls of liquor until glossy.
   6. Finish with lemon zest, a squeeze of juice and more Parmigiano.

   Chef's own recipe, written for Royal Corona Beans. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, the prep laid out and what you already have.

   Inspired by Rancho Gordo's own recipe: ranchogordo.com

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Rancho Gordo didn't pay to be here. Order goes straight to their shop. The recipe is Chef's own, in our words, made for Royal Corona Beans.