These beans are a favorite dish I make at Ci Siamo, but this is the same way I cook them at home. Fried rosemary and sage add a little crunch, while a shower of Piave cheese and a drizzle of good olive oil elevates their humbleness. Plus, the oil-cured black olives are fun—they look like beans in the bowl at first glance, but one bite in, and you get a hit of their salty richness. For the best texture, use a mix of white, brown, and black beans since the smaller ones will break down just enough to create a velvety sauce
No one has recorded a better version of this ultimate southwestern French dish, nor is it likely anyone ever will. Paula [Wolfert] learned it in the dining room of Pierrette Lejanou, a local Toulouse woman known to make the best. This is a three-day project, made more pleasurable if you can collaborate with a friend. The biggest challenges lie in the shopping: in addition to Tarbais beans and duck confit, the dish contains six kinds of pork. It’s an ideal excuse to visit that new nose-to-tail butcher shop that just opened. The staff will be excited to hear you are tackling this and should have most items.