The big bean theory

The idea of beans as a key ingredient in a cuisine somehow just doesn’t sit well. Yet, a few cuisines – like those of Mexico – have managed to use the legume to its advantage. South of Piedmont, on Italy’s western coast, Tuscany's is another example of a regional cuisine that makes the most of the humble bean.

Varieties of beans are grown widely all over Tuscany, says Dennis Ridlon, executive sous chef at Celini, the Italian restaurant at Mumbai’s Grand Hyatt Hotel, which recently celebrated the cuisine of Tuscany. “In fact, Tuscans even make bread out of some varieties like garbanzo beans (similar to chickpea),” he adds.

Cannellini beans cooked with prawns, pureed kidney beans served with pan-seared seabass, and chickpea and truffle pasta soup are some of the examples of dishes where beans are successfully paired with other ingredients.

Tuscan cuisine is much milder in its flavours than the better-known and spicier Sicilian cuisine. With its roots in the erstwhile Etruscan civilisation, Tuscany’s cuisine is earthy, rich in the use of herbs like rosemary and sage, garlic, pecorino cheese, breads, beans and olive oil.

Game and livestock are also eaten widely. While the grilled pork chops served with mushrooms and goat cheese, and T-bone steak with garlic and rosemary sauce have mild flavours, the braised lamb meatballs in grape sauce are overpowered by fennel, an ingredient used to cure the meat. “Italians use fennel seeds, garlic and juniper berries to cure their meats,” offers Ridlon. Luckily, the combination of grape sauce and bell peppers helps tone down the effects of the fennel.

Wine is not just an accompaniment to a meal but is often used in the preparation of the meal itself. “Wines like Marsala, which comes from Sicily, is sweet, almost like a port,” says Ridlon. “It can be used to cook a slightly sour vegetable like artichokes.” Sure enough, the artichokes cooked in Marsala wine and layered with breadcrumbs makes for an interesting mix of flavours and textures.