cannellini beans

There is a special joy in getting hold of a box of fresh cannellini beans. Even in Florence, where these beans are so highly prized, there will only be a few market stalls selling them. We have been told that nearly all the crop is consumed by the growers and their families.

The original cannellini bean from Tuscany is a long, slender kidney shape, ivory white with a thin skin. They are very creamy when cooked and totally delicious eaten on their own simply with lots of extra virgin olive oil. A few varieties are grown, among them Toscanelli and Piattellini, each coming from a particular area around Tuscany. Other white fresh haricot beans are similar. These are usually a little fatter and rounder and are grown in Spain and the south of France. We buy these fresh and cook them the same way.

Look for firm pods that are still stiff, possibly browning at the edges, which indicates that the beans are ripe and fully developed. Cook them in unsalted water flavoured with parsley stalks, basil, garlic and tomato. Always serve with extra virgin olive oil.

Dried cannellini beans need to be soaked overnight and then cooked in the same way as fresh. They will take much longer.