White Bean Salad with Lemon-Caper Mayonnaise
From Foods of the Greek Islands by Aglaia Kremenzi
Chef Jim Bostacos created this variation on the popular island bean salad, which is traditionally served with a lemon vinaigrette and topped with chopped scallions or thin onion rings. He adds a little chopped garlic and disced tomatoes and dresses the beans with a thin lemony mayonnaise flavored with chopped capers.
You can serve this bean salad as a side dish or as a meze. Chef Bostacos pairs it with his garlic-scented crab cakes, but it would go equally well with any grilled or fried fish.
Traca's note: I bumped up the parsley, used white pepper instead of black, and subbed halved cherry tomatoes for the diced tomatoes. Love, love, love this dish.
4 to 6 servings
2 cups dried white beans, soaked overnight in water and drained
1/3 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Mayonnaise
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed juice
Pinch of salt
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup capers, drained and chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup diced tomatoes
Place the beans in a large pot and add cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 1 hour, or until tender. Drain well.
Combine beans, onion, parsley, garlic, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a large bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.
Meanwhile, make the mayonnaise. With an electric mixer on low speed, beat the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl. Increase the speed to medium and slowly add the oil in a slow, steady stream until incorporated. Stir in the capers with a wooden spoon and beat for 1 minute; the mayonnaise will be thin, like a creamy vinaigrette not thick like regular mayonnaise. Season to taste with pepper and additional salt if necessary. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Just before serving the beans, adjust the seasonings and fold in the tomatoes and most of the mayonnaise. Serve with the rest of the mayonnaise on the side.
From Foods of the Greek Islands by Aglaia Kremenzi
Chef Jim Bostacos created this variation on the popular island bean salad, which is traditionally served with a lemon vinaigrette and topped with chopped scallions or thin onion rings. He adds a little chopped garlic and disced tomatoes and dresses the beans with a thin lemony mayonnaise flavored with chopped capers.
You can serve this bean salad as a side dish or as a meze. Chef Bostacos pairs it with his garlic-scented crab cakes, but it would go equally well with any grilled or fried fish.
Traca's note: I bumped up the parsley, used white pepper instead of black, and subbed halved cherry tomatoes for the diced tomatoes. Love, love, love this dish.
4 to 6 servings
2 cups dried white beans, soaked overnight in water and drained
1/3 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Mayonnaise
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed juice
Pinch of salt
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup capers, drained and chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup diced tomatoes
Place the beans in a large pot and add cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 1 hour, or until tender. Drain well.
Combine beans, onion, parsley, garlic, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a large bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.
Meanwhile, make the mayonnaise. With an electric mixer on low speed, beat the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl. Increase the speed to medium and slowly add the oil in a slow, steady stream until incorporated. Stir in the capers with a wooden spoon and beat for 1 minute; the mayonnaise will be thin, like a creamy vinaigrette not thick like regular mayonnaise. Season to taste with pepper and additional salt if necessary. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Just before serving the beans, adjust the seasonings and fold in the tomatoes and most of the mayonnaise. Serve with the rest of the mayonnaise on the side.