I absolutely love Fall food and flavors for so many reasons. The biggest reason is though that they are so bold and hearty and stew and braise and simmer for hours. This creates amazing complex flavors in so many ways.
It was a rainy chilly day here in Chicago land and so it was the perfect day for some hearty, bold flavors and this white bean ragout was the absolute perfect thing.
You can pair this with meats, sausage would be amazing with this. I paired it with some perfect filets of Chilean Sea Bass. The recipe for the Chilean Sea Bass is below and it was a match made in heaven. To top it all off, I crisped up some Prosciutto De Parma and it gave an incredible crunch and saltiness to the dish.
I cannot wait for you all to try this amazing Ragout and hear what you have paired it with!
Chef’s Tip-Â When making this ragout, if you notice it is getting dry at all, add in a little water or white wine. Also, add the spinach last just to wilt it. Lastly, if you decide to add in the Prosciutto De Parma crisp, make sure you watch your salt in the ragout or it can get over powered with the salt from the Prosciutto.
*Note- To make the Prosciutto crisp, simple place the prosciutto on a non stick sheet pan at 425 for about 10-12 minutes. I flipped it over halfway through cooking to make sure that it crisped all the way through.
Chilean Sea Bass-
I simply heated a skillet until it was lightly smoking. Added in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and added the fish skin side up first,(I had 2-8oz pieces of Chilean Sea Bass). I seared the top side for about 7-8 minutes or until the fish was golden and crusted. Then flip it over and sear the skin side for 8-10 minutes. I had it on the stove for about 2-3 minutes and finished it in the 425 degree oven. The skin should be golden and crisp.
Remove the fish from the pan and any excess oil. Add in the juice of 1 lemon and 1/4 cup of white wine. Reduce until almost dry, au sec. Then turn off the heat and whisk in 6-8 tablespoons of butter. Be careful that the pan is not too hot or the sauce will break. Serve over the top of the fish and extra on the side.
White Bean Ragout
Ingredients
- 1 can white beans cannellini beans
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow onions from about one large
- 3 large garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes whole and smash as they cook
- 1 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup white wine
- Kosher Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup fresh spinach cleaned and washed
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the onions, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Do not brown. Add the garlic and cook one minute more.
- Add the tomatoes,cook for 1-2 minutes and begin to lightly smash.
- Add the beans, stock, and wine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to a simmer and cook until tomatoes are slightly softened and slightly smash again, but also sort of keep the shape. Taste for seasoning. Note that the sauce may have a strong wine flavor at first, but it will mellow out.
- Add the spinach and stir in the fresh basil. Cook for 1-2 minutes, just until the spinach has wilted.
- Transfer to serving dish, garnish with meat or fish if desired.
