This section is from the book "The Culinary Handbook", by Charles Fellows. Also available from Amazon: The Culinary Handbook.
One of the most nutritious foods that can be used; the varieties most used are the lima or butter bean, the white haricot or navy bean, the red and the black haricot, the flageolet or kidney bean.
The dried beans are soaked in water for a few hours, then boiled till tender, drained, seasoned with salt, pepper and butter, or mixed with cream sauce If canned beans are used they are first washed from their can liquor, then heated and seasoned as above; if fresh beans are used, they are put to boil in boiling water containing salt and a small piece of common washing soda; when done, drained, and seasoned as above.
The beans either dried, fresh or canned are prepared up to the seasoning point of the preceding receipt, then placed in pan containing either small pieces of cooked bacon or salt pork, or just plain melted butter, then thoroughly tossed and heated in the pan, seasoned; sometimes they are sprinkled with finely chopped parsley before serving.
Either dried, fresh or canned beans boiled till tender; when cold they are mixed with a cream, hollandaise or mayonnaise salad dressing and served on a bed of lettuce.
Soaked dried beans put to boil with a piece of salt pork in white stock containing onions, carrots, parsley, and whole mace; when cooked the pork and vege-tables removed, the beans and stock rubbed through a fine sieve, then placed in a clean saucepan, brought to the boil, seasoned, a little flour and water thickening added to prevent coagulation; served with small toast.
Equal parts of the finished puree of the preceding, and cream or veloute sauce, made hot separate, then thoroughly mixed without further boiling.
Flageolets Or Kidney Beans are obtainable in cans or in the dried state. The average patron does not know what a flageolet is, hence the call for them at table is small; but most people know what a kidney bean is, and if put on the bill of fare as such, the demand will be gratifying to the cook.
Poulette, espag-nole or veloute sauces. The beans if canned, washed from the can liquor; if dried they are soaked, then boiled tender, drained and reheated in any of the four sauces above mentioned.
Soaked, boiled and drained dried beans, or canned ones washed off, then heated and tossed in butter, seasoned with salt and pepper with a little summer savoury; a few salted herrings skinned boned and cut into small pieces, either mixed with the beans, or served as a garnish to them.
Soaked, boiled and drained dried beans, or canned ones washed off, a little minced onion and garlic lightly fried in olive oil to a golden brown color, oil poured off, beans put in with some chopped parsley, tossed together with the onions, then moistened with veloute sauce, brought to the boil, seasoned and served.
 
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