recipe
Ewa Agoyin: Soft Beans with Pepper Sauce
Very soft mashed beans topped with a slow-cooked onion and pepper sauce. This home version keeps the palm oil below smoking and makes the heat adjustable.
4–6 servings (estimated)
Ingredients and method
4–6 servings (estimated)
Planning estimate: 2–3 hr · Moderate.
Timing guide: Soak the chilies and cook the sauce while the beans simmer. Very old beans may need more than the estimated time.
Method
- Cover the dried chilies with hot water in a heatproof bowl and soak for about 30 minutes, until pliable. Meanwhile, bring the beans and measured water to a boil, then simmer partly covered until extremely soft, about 90–150 minutes. Add hot water to keep the beans submerged.
- Drain the softened chilies. Blend them with the bell pepper and a few tablespoons water to a coarse purée. Let the purée drain in a sieve while you cook the onion.
- Warm the palm oil over medium-low heat in a separate heavy saucepan. Add the onion and cook slowly, stirring frequently, for 25–35 minutes until deep golden brown. Do not heat the oil until smoking or burn the onion black; reduce the heat if either begins to catch.
- Carefully stir the drained pepper purée and ginger into the onion. Add the optional crayfish and bouillon. Cook over low heat for 20–30 minutes, stirring and scraping often, until the sauce is concentrated and brick-red. If it sticks, add a tablespoon water and lower the heat.
- When the beans are very soft, season with salt, then mash with a potato masher, retaining enough cooking liquid for a loose, creamy consistency. Taste the sauce for salt and spoon a little over each portion of beans. Serve with soft bread or dodo.
The beans should almost collapse
Ewa agoyin keeps the plain beans and concentrated sauce distinct. Unlike a one-pot bean pottage, the sauce is spooned over at serving. Cook beyond merely tender: the beans should mash without effort, and a splash of cooking liquid keeps them soft.
Control the oil and the heat
Dried chilies vary greatly in strength. Begin with fewer and remove some seeds if you prefer less heat. This version uses unbleached red palm oil, so its flavor and color differ from versions that heat the oil until clear. Deeply browned onions and slowly reduced peppers provide richness without deliberate smoking. Optional crayfish contains shellfish.
Serving and keeping leftovers
Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within two hours, or one hour above 90°F. Keep at 40°F or below and use within 3–4 days. Reheat cooked leftovers to 165°F; add a splash of water to stews or rice if needed.