Page 113 - Delicious - UK (February 2020)

MASTERCLASS: THE KNOWLEDGE

1 2

TREND TO TRY:
ORANGE WINE

OUR
WINNER: WHAT IS IT? A wine made
QUICK HOT-
from white grapes in which the
SOAK pressed grape juice is kept in
THE SIDE-BY-SIDE TEST lengthy contact with the skins

during and after fermentation.
SHOULD YOU SOAK DRIED BEANS? The result is a wine with a

deep orange colour. Flavour-
Some say soaking dried beans before cooking is unnecessary but we think wise, it tends to have less
the cooked texture is better as pre-soaking softens the skins and also speeds acidity than white, but with
up cooking. Please note: dried kidney beans (and cannellini and broad beans) some of the tannin and bitter
contain a toxin that needs to be neutralised by first boiling for 10 minutes, then edge of a red. It has been
discarding the water before further cooking. We tried two soaking methods. made for millennia – notably in
Georgia – but has recently had
METHOD 1 OVERNIGHT SOAK METHOD 2 QUICK HOT-SOAK a resurgence elsewhere in
Put the beans in a bowl and cover Put the beans in a pan, add cold water Europe, particularly among
with cold water (about 500ml per to cover, bring to the boil and boil for winemakers who make wines
100g beans). Soak the beans for at 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, using minimal intervention.
least 8 hours or overnight. Adding cover with the lid and leave to soak for DRINK IT WITH… Charcuterie,
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda to the an hour. Drain (discard the water), cheese and roast meat. Orange
water shortens the cooking time a bit then boil in fresh water until tender. wine is a good match for food
and results in softer beans. Drain the VERDICT This method requires a from the Middle East, Balkans
beans (discard the soaking water), little more effort but is a good and Caucasus, as well as spicy
put them in a pan, then boil in fresh solution when you’re short of time. Asian dishes.
water until tender. Larger/older It also results in beans that are …AND IN COOKING? Use to
beans will take longer. smoother in texture and creamy, not make a fantastic coq au vin or
VERDICT This method is simple and mealy. Some claim this method makes a fruity lamb braise.
doesn’t take much effort, but the the beans less gaseous, though we’ll WHERE TO BUY IT From good
beans are not cooked consistently, leave that up to you to find out. online wine merchants such as
with a marked contrast between the We conducted our test using dried Les Caves de Pyrene (lescaves.
firmness of the skins and the cannellini beans. See our cassoulet co.uk), and from Marks &
softness of the middles. recipe, made with dried beans, on p100 Spencer and Asda.

THE FOOD HACK

Watch how to slice and fan an avocado

to serve with brunch egg dishes or

simply to jazz up your avocado on toast. →

See the video now at deliciousmagazine.co.uk/skills

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 111