The what, why, and huh? of food. Butter beans demystified.

Recently, at a tasting for our new Southern Sunday Suppers, a good friend of ours, Kelly Oden, Executive Editor for Ballinger Publishing, confessed that she didn’t understand how to cook fresh beans. Kelly uses dried beans. Well, she can’t be alone, so we went to the King of Southern food, Chef Jim Shirley, for the scoop.

Lima beans, also known in the South as butter beans, are a must-serve dish with any true Southern meal. Even if you don’t care for them, you have to know what they are and how to cook them if you are going to call yourself a Southerner. Chef Jim Shirley says fret not, folks. Peas and beans fresh off the farm are truly delicious and easy to prepare.

Once you buy your fresh beans, you will need to either shell them if they’re mature or break them up if they’re immature, first removing the stems (and strings, if any). You’ll want to blanch the beans in boiling water. Lightly boiling them stops the enzymatic processes, which keeps them from spoiling if you are to keep them in the fridge for a while or freeze them. It also keeps them green, which Chef Shirley calls “locking in the color.”

Blanch the beans for three minutes. Start counting the moment the beans hit the boil. At the three-minute mark, strain and immediately immerse beans in an ice bath for about six minutes to stop the cooking process and lock in the flavor and color! Once blanched and cooled, they’re ready to cook—or you can freeze them for up to nine months or refrigerate them for up to a week.

If you’re keeping them in the fridge for a few days, Chef Jim recommends covering the beans in a little chicken stock. This keeps them from drying out and helps them develop an excellent flavor. He prepares his beans in a cast iron skillet by sautéing some shallots and a little ham in some butter. Once the ham is cooked and the shallots are translucent, add the beans and cover with stock. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook beans 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender.

Until next time, 

Your resident gritsgirl, Shelley