We presented two renowned chefs, Michael Katz, Culinary Director at Attilio Cooking School, and Roman Dimant, an operational chef and instructor at the same school, with an identical ingredient: "Chef's Bean," a particularly large and tender white bean. Our challenge? Show us what they could create.
The results are two fantastic recipes. Michael Katz made a hummus-style salad with white beans topped with a warm mushroom stew, while Roman Dimant created a plated sabich featuring crispy white bean toppings that you won't be able to stop munching.
White Bean Spread in Hummus Style with Mushrooms by Michael Katz
500 grams of cooked white beans
125 grams raw tahini
About 50 ml fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves
For garnish: 5 champignon mushrooms
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Olive oil
1 tablespoon harissa
Preparation Instructions:
1. Using a food processor, blend the white beans, adding the lemon juice, tahini, cumin, salt, and garlic in that order. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water.
2. For the mushroom topping: quarter the mushrooms and steam in a pan with a bit of water for about 5 minutes. Add a touch of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Plate the white bean spread like hummus, garnishing with the cooked mushrooms, chopped parsley, a little harissa, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Sabich on a Plate: Crispy White Beans and Burnt Eggplant by Roman Dimant
1 burnt and peeled eggplant
1 egg, boiled for 6 minutes
100 grams white beans, soaked for 12 hours and pressure-cooked for 40 minutes, or until soft
100 grams raw tahini
1 teaspoon preserved lemon
1 teaspoon amba
1 peeled and chopped tomato
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Oil for deep frying
Preparation Instructions:
1. Coat the cooked white beans in cornstarch and let rest for about 15 minutes.
2. Deep-fry the beans in oil at 180°C (356°F) until they’re slightly golden.
3. Mix the tahini with about 100 ml cold water, 1 tablespoon amba, and 1 tablespoon preserved lemon. Season with salt, pepper, and a little crushed garlic.
4. To assemble the dish: chop the eggplant, season with salt, pepper, and lemon.
5. Arrange the eggplant in the center of the plate, cut the egg in half, place it on top, and garnish with olive oil and cilantro leaves. Scatter the crispy fried beans on top.
Roman Dimant and Michael Katz in collaboration with Sugat.