Take a quart of sound red beans; pick out all the small stones that are likely to be mixed with them; wash them thoroughly, lay them in plenty of cold water, and let them soak for six hours. Drain, and put them in a saucepan, covering them with fresh water, adding an ounce of butter, a bouquet (No. 254), and a medium-sized onion with two cloves stuck in. Boil for twenty minutes, stirring in a good glassful of red wine; season with a pinch of salt and half a pinch of pepper, and let it cook again for forty-five minutes. Remove, take out the bouquet and onion, and place the beans in a hot, deep dish; decorate with six small glazed onions (No. 972) around the dish, and serve.

Dried red beans, white beans, Lima beans, split dried peas, lentils, or any other kind of dried beans, should always be soaked six hours in fresh water before using them.