Cassell's dictionary of cookery

White Kidney Beans (a la Lyonnaise). — Cut a few onions into dice, and fry them in a little butter till they are of a lightbrown colour; then add two spoonfuls of Spanish sauce. Let the onions be well done ; season them with pepper and salt ; drain the beans that have been done as above, then throw them into the sauce, and serve up hot. If you have no Spanish sauce, when you have fried the onions, add a spoonful of fine flour, and moisten with good gravy, or broth, and a little glaze; then boil very well, and put the beans in as directed. This manner is for entremets, and they are dressed the same to put under a leg of mutton roasted, or a quarter of mutton a la Lyonnaise. — Tide. White Kidney Beans (a la Maitre d' Hotel. — White beans, when fresh, must be put into boiling water ; but if dry, they must be soaked for an hour in cold water before being boiled. Then boil them in cold water, and replenish with cold water also, which makes the rind or coat tender. "White beans must be well done before being dressed a la maitre d'hotel, which is done as follows : — Put in a stewpan a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, a little parsley chopped very fine, and some pepper and salt, over which lay the beans WHI ( 1114 ) WHI well drained. Keep moving the stewpan, ■without using a spoon, for fear of breaking the beans. Then squeeze in the juice of half a lemon, and serve quite hot. — Tide. White Kidney Beans, Puree of.— The beans, which must be boiled beforehand, are to be mixed with the following preparation : Chop some onions, fry them lightly in a little butter, put a little flour to fry in the butter, and when done moisten with a spoonful or two of broth. Let the onions be thoroughly done. Next let the beans boil in the sauce for half an hour, season well, without pepper, and strain through a tamis. Reduce the puree over a brisk fire, skim off the white scum, and before serving refine the puree with a bit of very fresh butter and two spoonfuls of thick cream. This dish is to be garnished with fried crusts of bread all round. The same method is used to make the soup a la puree d'haricot, only put some strong consomme in it, and keep the puree quite clear. Serve with the soup some crumbs of bread cut in small squares and fried brown in butter. White Kidney Beans, Puree of (another way). — New white beans should be used for making a puree. If fresh, put them into boiling water; if dry, into cold water, adding a little butter in either case, to make the skin more mellow. When the beans are done enough, add a handful of salt to season them. Fry in a little butter a few slices of onions. When they are melted, sprinkle them with half a spoonful of flour ; moisten with consomme, and season with a little pepper and salt ; skim off the grease. When the flour is done, mix it well with the beans, let them boil a quarter of an hour, and squeeze them well before rubbing them through a tamis. Let the puree be rather limpid, as it is liable to thicken when on the fire. A short time before serving mix a small piece of butter with the puree. White Pot, Devonshire {see Devonshire White Pot).