Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
• •Small skillet for frying sage
• •Slotted spoon
• •Wide shallow serving bowl

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the beans

   Cover dried beans with several inches of cold water the night before. They will double in size. In the morning, drain and rinse them. This is not optional. Soaking softens the skins, starts the hydration that leads to creamy interiors, and cuts your cooking time nearly in half.

   If you forgot to soak, cover beans with water, bring to a boil for one minute, then let stand covered for one hour. Not as good as overnight, but it works.
2. 2

   Cook the beans gently

   Place soaked beans in a heavy pot. Add the halved garlic head, rosemary sprigs, and bay leaf. Cover with fresh cold water by three inches. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. The moment you see bubbles, reduce the heat until you see only the occasional lazy bubble rising to the surface. A rolling boil breaks beans apart and toughens their skins.

3. 3

   Season at the right moment

   After forty-five minutes of simmering, add a generous pinch of salt. Not before. Salt added too early toughens the skins. The beans need time to absorb water first. Continue simmering until completely tender, another thirty to forty-five minutes. They should yield entirely when pressed between your fingers, creamy all the way through with no chalky center.

   Taste a few beans from different parts of the pot. They cook unevenly. All of them should be soft before you stop.
4. 4

   Rest the beans in their liquid

   Turn off the heat and let the beans rest in their cooking liquid for at least fifteen minutes. This is when they finish absorbing seasoning and become truly creamy. Drain, reserving a cup of the cooking liquid. Discard the garlic head, rosemary, and bay leaf.

5. 5

   Fry the sage leaves

   Pour a quarter cup of olive oil into a small skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add sage leaves in a single layer. They will sputter and hiss. Fry for thirty seconds to one minute until the sputtering stops and leaves turn darker green with crisp edges. They go from perfect to burnt in seconds. Watch them. Transfer to a paper towel. They will crisp further as they cool.

6. 6

   Infuse the oil with garlic

   Add sliced garlic to the sage-infused oil remaining in the pan. Cook over low heat, stirring, until the garlic turns pale gold and fragrant, about one minute. Remove from heat immediately. Garlic should never brown or it turns bitter.

7. 7

   Dress the beans

   Place warm beans in a wide serving bowl. Pour the garlic and oil over them. Add the remaining quarter cup of fresh olive oil. This is your finishing oil, the one you bought because you loved how it tasted on bread. Toss gently. Add a splash of the reserved cooking liquid if the beans seem dry. Season with salt and pepper. Taste. Adjust.

   Use two different olive oils if you have them: a good everyday oil for frying, your best oil for finishing raw. The finishing oil should taste like something.
8. 8

   Finish and serve

   Scatter crispy sage leaves over the beans. Finish with flaky salt and another crack of black pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature. These beans taste even better the next day, dressed again with a little fresh oil before serving.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out Rancho Gordo or similar heirloom bean suppliers. Their cannellini and other Italian varieties have flavor that supermarket beans cannot match. The difference is the same as between a farmers market tomato and a winter grocery store tomato.
• •Buy sage with leaves that are silvery-green and slightly fuzzy, not limp or blackened at the edges. If it does not smell intensely of sage when you rub a leaf, it has been sitting too long.
• •These beans improve overnight. The olive oil soaks in, the flavors meld. Make them a day ahead for a dinner party and dress with a splash of fresh oil before serving.
• •A squeeze of lemon over the finished beans brightens everything without adding obvious citrus flavor. Add it at the table, not to the pot.
• •In winter, add a handful of bitter greens like escarole or lacinato kale, wilted into the warm beans. It becomes a different dish entirely, just as good.

Advance Preparation

• •Beans can be cooked up to three days ahead and refrigerated in their cooking liquid. Reheat gently and dress just before serving.
• •Sage can be fried up to four hours ahead and kept at room temperature. It will stay crisp if stored uncovered.
• •The fully dressed beans taste even better the next day. Add a splash of fresh olive oil and a few more crispy sage leaves before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 250g)