Another Recipe: Shrimp & White Beans

That Rancho Gordo Life (IYKYK)

Photo by Aleece Kingsley Taylor

Hello! If you are just picking up the Grape to Table newsletter, thanks so much for joining to learn more about wine, food, and travel.

We have just wrapped up my origin story (click here to read), and we are diving into fun content mostly focused on meaningful time at the table with delicious wine and food.  In these uncertain times I find that I value sitting down and sharing a good meal and wine all the more. Some might question the relevance of writing on “light” topics like these, but I swear that true quality time with friends and family is perhaps the easiest and most beneficial gift we can give ourselves right now. 

As it happens, it is the perfect time of the year for comfort food, which always soothes my soul. I live in Charleston, South Carolina, and the temperatures are just starting to drop (ok only to mid 40s, but still it’s fall to us!).  One of my go-to comfort foods for fall/winter  also happens to be quite healthy and go with all sorts of wine pairings. If you know me, it’s no secret how much I love beans and especially beans from Rancho Gordo. This is the California based holy grail purveyor of heirloom beans. Steve Sando founded Rancho Gordo in 2001 when he was looking for local tomatoes and crazily could not find any so started to grow his own. Next he tackled beans, and fast forward 22 years he is considered the messiah of beans! He works with small farmers in Central California, Oregon, Washington, and New Mexico, and they also work with small farms in Mexico for their really rare crops.

I first discovered Rancho Gordo on a trip to San Francisco in 2013 when I was wandering the market in the Ferry Building. I bought a package of their Cassoulet (Tarbais) beans and forgot about them for a while in my pantry, which is a mistake as the whole premise of Rancho Gordo is the freshness of their dried beans, but thankfully they still cooked up deliciously. I remember loving them but somehow once again forgot about them until my memory was jogged around 2017/2018, and I started ordering all sorts of beans from Rancho Gordo by the box full! Anyone who has been a longtime member of my wine club can attest to how much I have written about meals centered around Rancho Gordo. And I absolutely LOVE how many folks have let me know I turned them into RG addicts too!! 

Just recently I was honored to be featured in Charleston Magazine about my various new work projects (this newsletter, my wine club, and classes), and I was asked for a recipe. I shared one of my go-to bean recipes – Shrimp and White Beans that I will also share with you below. While I love all beans, white beans have to be my favorite as they just feel extra comforting. I love to top them with local shrimp, but you could substitute sausage or just enjoy them on their own with a nice salad and perhaps a slice of cornbread. These beans are so flavorful that you honestly don’t even need to cook them in stock so it’s easy to make them vegetarian. And I will share my secret ingredient for all my beans that seriously negates the need for cooking them with stock. Let me introduce you to Mushroom Garum from Noma Projects (out of Copenhagen). They crush organic mushrooms with salt and rice koji and let it brew for 6 to 8 weeks before cold smoking and bottling this very special elixir! I usually add about 2 to 3 tablespoons whenever I am cooking a pound of beans! 

Now without further ado my recipe for Shrimp & White Beans. See postscript for wine pairing ideas! 

Shrimp & White Beans 

1 pound Rancho Gordo White Beans (such as Marcella)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 

2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large onion)

2 cups peeled and chopped carrots (about 4 medium carrots)

2 cups chopped celery (about 6 medium stalks)

2 tablespoons sliced garlic (about 5 cloves)

2 teaspoons salt, plus 2 more to taste 

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

1 quart chicken stock (or water)

1 ½ quarts water

4 bay leaves

Bundle of fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine 

2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp (medium sized preferably), seasoned with salt and pepper before adding

¼ cup chopped green onion or Italian parsley, for garnish (optional)

Place beans in a large bowl; cover with water and soak overnight or at least for a few hours to reduce cooking time. (This is not mandatory by any means especially since Rancho Gordo beans are so fresh that they cook quickly even without soaking.)

When ready to cook, heat  olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano (and red pepper flakes if you like). Cook, stirring, until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. Add drained beans. Add chicken stock and water (or all water if you are opting for a vegetarian dish). Stir to combine. Add bay leaves and thyme. Bring to boil and cook for 15 minutes at a boil to show the beans who’s boss (the Rancho Gordo method).

Reduce to a simmer and cook for about  2 hours (depending on freshness of beans and whether you pre-soaked or not). (Beans should be tender and creamy when tasted.) (Add more water or stock during cooking as needed to achieve desired consistency.) Remove bay leaves, and thyme.

Taste for seasoning and add more salt/pepper as desired. At this point you can puree about 2 cups of your beans/broth in a blender or food processor) and then return to the pot if you prefer a thicker consistency. (Be careful when pureeing hot substances. It is advisable to allow the substance you are pureeing to cool off a bit.)

Once you have returned your puree back to the pot, return beans to a simmer and add the shrimp. Cook until they turn pink, just a few minutes. (Alternatively, you can always sautee your shrimp separately if you prefer not to cook in the beans. I like to do this as I prefer to freeze a portion of my beans without the shrimp.)

Serve over steamed rice. 

Yield: 8 servings; freezes well! 

P.S. Shrimp & White Beans is such a wine friendly dish – inviting many pairings! I often reach for my tried and true favorites like White Burgundy or Loire Valley Chenin Blanc, but it’s also fun to think outside the box and seek out other bright, mineral driven Old World white wines like the Friulano pictured here. Friuli is a region in northeastern Italy that borders Austria and Slovenia. You will find a variety of wines from this region, but I most love those made from the Friulano grape, which does remind me of my much adored Chenin Blanc! 

There are many terrific small producers in the Friuli region, and Ronchi di Cialla  is a standout. Paolo and Dina Rapuzzi bought this property in 1970, and today the winery is run by their sons Pierpaolo and Ivan. Ronchi di Cialla is certified as biodiversity friendly by the World Biodiversity Association, and they remain committed to using natural practices with minimal interference in the cellar. 

P.P.S. For a musical pairing…I love cooking beans on Sunday afternoons and streaming KCSM – a terrific jazz station based in San Mateo, California. I especially love KCSM on Sundays for the Latin jazz show with Jesse 'Chuy' Varela!