Serves8
- Active time:1 hr
- Start to finish:2 hr
Adapted from The Brazilian Table, by Yara Castro Roberts and Richard Roberts
November 2009
For black beans
-
1
lb
dried black beans, picked over
-
3
crushed peeled garlic cloves
-
1
Turkish or ½ California bay leaf
-
2
teaspoon
coarse kosher salt (or 1 tsp fine salt)
-
-
For tutu
-
1/2
cup
crushed peeled garlic cloves (about 1 ½ heads)
-
2
teaspoons
coarse kosher salt (or 1 tsp fine salt)
-
3
tablespoons
vegetable oil
-
1/2
cup
finely chopped onion
-
1
cup
manioc flour, preferably toasted
-
For sauce
-
1
tablespoon
vegetable oil
-
1
large red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced lengthwise (1 ½ cups)
-
2
tablespoons
tomato paste
-
1/3
cup
water
-
2
tablespoons
cider vinegar
-
1/4
teaspoon
coarse kosher salt (or 1/8 tsp fine salt)
-
1/4
teaspoon
Tabasco
Cook black beans
-
Rinse beans in a sieve with cold water, then transfer to a 4- to 5-quart pot with cold water to cover by 1 ½ inches. Bring to a boil and boil beans, uncovered, 10 minutes.
-
Drain beans then return to pot with enough fresh water to cover by 2 inches. Add crushed garlic, bay leaf, and salt and bring to a simmer. Simmer beans gently, partially covered, until tender, 50 minutes to 1¼ hours.
-
Pour beans through a sieve set over a bowl. Measure cooking liquid in a 1 quart measuring cup, adding enough water to measure 3 ½ cups. Return beans to pot, discarding bay leaf, and mash with a bean or potato masher adding 1 cup cooking liquid back to pot to make a soupy puree. Keep warm.
Make tutu
-
In a mortar with a pestle or using the edge and flat side of a large knife on a cutting board, mash garlic with coarse salt to a puree.
-
Heat oil in a small heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then add the onion-garlic puree and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring until softened and garlic is golden, about 5 minutes more.
-
Stir garlic-onion mixture and 1 cup bean cooking liquid into black beans and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Pour about 1/3 cup manioc flour in a slow stream into pot, stirring constantly, then stir in about 1/3 cup bean cooking liquid. Continue adding remaining manioc flour and liquid until you have a thick but airy puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm, covered.
Make sauce
-
Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring, 2 minutes more. Add water, vinegar, salt, and Tabasco and cook, stirring, 3 minutes more.
Cooks' Note: Left over tutu keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven in a baking dish, covered, until heated through, about 25 minutes.