Beans or green beans with prawns

How to prepare some verdinas with prawns .

After falling into oblivion for a while, pulses are back in fashion.

The recipes of vegetables even have become the signature dish of special menus or celebration.

These fabes  verdina variety (Phaseolus vulgaris) that I present today are a type of very buttery tender green beans and typical of Asturias. Perfect to accompany with any seafood such as these prawns and their broth.

For those of us who like butt spooning, and more beans, I assure you that it may be one of the richest legumes you have ever tried.

Its size is smaller than the typical Asturian beans with which the Asturian bean stew is usually made . And they have a green color and a smooth flavor that make them a highly coveted ingredient.

In this case I have prepared them with some prawns and their broth. But you can add prawns, prawns, some carabinieri, the Asturian pixín (monkfish or peixe-toad) and the famous verdinas with Asturian clams that I will prepare soon. I hope you cheer up with them, bon appetit.

Before cooking the vegetables

Almost all the verdinas that I have seen come in the form of dried vegetables, in this case they even came vacuum packed, so that their preservation is perfect.

They are easy to store although, as I said, difficult to get. The most important thing in the matter of quality, be it vegetables or legumes of another kind. It is essential that you always buy the best you can within your means, new and good quality vegetables.

1. The day before we put them in warm water with a handful of salt. We leave them to soak for 10-12 hours overnight.
2. We should not have more than 12 hours, since after this time the legume loses qualities.
3. It is important that in addition to hydrating, we wash them afterwards to remove possible impurities and that no damaged beans that can bother your teeth do not strain, I say from experience.
4. We will only have to drain and set aside until the time to prepare the casserole.
5. If you are lucky to find them fresh, you only need to leave them to rest for an hour in a little hot water.
6. This will help them cook faster. Once that time has passed we just have to wash them and add them to the casserole with the rest of the vegetables.
7. The cooking time is relative, since the truth is that one vegetable is never the same as another, sometimes they are more tender. Others are older, others have thicker skin, others if you spend time falling apart.
8. With what you should be testing at the end of the approximate time that I give you until they are at their point.

Preparation of the verdina casserole with prawns

1. Chop the onions, the red pepper and the garlic cloves into small pieces so that they dissolve in the cooking. In the end we will hardly notice any texture of any of the ingredients but its flavor.
2. As many people do not like to find garlic on the plate you can pour it whole and remove it halfway through cooking. Crush it with a garlic grinder or chop it very finely.
3. We wash and peel the carrots, cut into thin slices, the finer the faster they will cook.
4. Here you have a little trick that is to chop them very small in the mincer. This way they will be done before, its flavor will be noticed but almost will not be seen in the sauce of the beans.
5. In a large casserole, if it is a much better cocotte, we add a good squirt of aove, onions, red pepper, carrots and garlic cloves.
6. We fry everything for 10 minutes so that the flavors mix well. Add a tablespoon of paprika and the saffron threads, stir mixing all the flavors for a minute.
7. We introduce the verdinas already hydrated and drained.
8. We also fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon quickly and put everything together (3 minutes).

Verdina cooking with prawns and final presentation

1. We cover with the broth of the prawns (important that it is cold so that it begins to boil slowly) until the verdinas are completely covered with liquid. If you need more water in the cooking process, it should always be added cold.
2. The water has to cover them and reach an inch above them. When it starts to boil, lower the heat so that it slows down and the vegetables do not break.
3. When it takes 1/2 hour cooking we add salt to taste. Remember that we have not added any salt to the broth.
4. We remove the foam that forms on top with a slotted spoon. We remove excess oils and impurities.
5. In the case that they are fresh beans you would have about 15 more minutes approximately. If they are dried verdinas it will take an hour and a half more.
6. We rectify salt. Already at the end of cooking (when there are about 3-4 minutes of cooking) we grill the prawns and add them to each dish. We distribute equally among all the guests.
7. The sea flavor of this bean will be given by the prawn broth and will be reinforced with the grilled prawns.
8. Do not think to add them all directly to the casserole because they would be passed and you would be gummy.
9. Remove from the heat and let it rest a little before serving.
10. We put the vegetables in a deep plate with the beans in the middle and the prawns in the center. That easy!

Curiosities and tips for some yummy verdinas

• This variety of beans is collected early and hence its green color. They are the most delicate that you can try. Fine texture, soft and versatile in the kitchen. They are generally used in stews with less forceful ingredients in flavor. So they pair best with fish and shellfish.
• This legume is also known as Verdina de Llanes , which is precisely where I bought it this summer. Notice that it is not cheap because there is not much production, and as always happens there is a lot of demand and little supply.
• They were traditionally cultivated in the Valle de Ardisana.  It was approximately a little over a decade ago when its cultivation and consumption spread throughout Asturias.
• They are most grateful and with little effort we will have a scandal menu. Ideal for a special day or for the daily tupper for work .
• Is there a ‘fame’? A beef cachopo will not disappoint you if you like meat, if you like the tablespoon, you can not miss trying its famous fabada , its world famous fabes with clams   to open your mouth, you have their pregnant buns  or some stuffed onions .
• To finish a gastronomic day that you will not forget, its desserts. The richest rice pudding you will have ever tasted or Pravia’s tocinillo de cielo .
• And of course a good coffee or infusion must be accompanied by some muscovites or some  Casadielles or Casadiella . There are a lot of recommendations that you should not miss trying in Asturias or at home, why not?