Truita a la Catalana

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium saucepan
• •24cm non-stick or well-seasoned frying pan
• •Flat plate wider than the frying pan
• •Flexible spatula
• •Fine-mesh colander

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the beans

   Cover the dried beans with at least three times their volume of cold water and soak them for 8 to 12 hours. They should swell evenly and lose their wrinkled appearance. Drain and discard the soaking water.

   If using mongeta del ganxet, handle it gently after soaking. Its thin skin is one reason it eats so well, but it also breaks more readily than an ordinary haricot bean.
2. 2

   Simmer until creamy

   Put the drained beans and bay leaf in a saucepan and cover them with fresh cold water by 5cm. Bring slowly to a simmer, skim away any foam, and lower the heat until the water barely trembles. Cook for 45 to 70 minutes, depending on the bean, until one crushes creamy between your fingers but still holds its shape. Add 2g of the salt for the final 10 minutes.

3. 3

   Drain and dry

   Drain the beans carefully and discard the bay leaf. Spread the beans on a clean tea towel or a wide plate for 10 minutes so their surfaces dry. You should have about 280g cooked beans. Don't skip the drying: surface water makes them spit in the pan and leaves the omelette wet.

4. 4

   Beat the eggs

   Crack the eggs into a large bowl. Add the remaining 3g salt and beat just until the whites and yolks are fully joined, without whipping in a great deal of air. Stir in the chopped parsley and set the bowl beside the stove.

5. 5

   Brown the botifarra

   Heat 15ml olive oil in a 24cm non-stick or well-seasoned frying pan over medium heat. Add the chilled botifarra slices in one layer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until browned at the edges and cooked through. The centre should no longer be pink, or should register 71°C. Lift the sausage onto a plate, leaving its rendered fat in the pan.

6. 6

   Crisp the beans

   Add the remaining 15ml olive oil to the pan, followed by the dried beans. Spread them out and leave them untouched for 2 minutes, then turn them gently and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. They should be golden at several edges while remaining creamy inside. Return the botifarra, add the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds, just until the garlic smells sweet.

7. 7

   Set the first side

   Spread the beans and sausage evenly across the pan and lower the heat to medium-low. Pour in the beaten eggs, moving the pan so they run between the pieces. Draw a spatula around the edge once or twice during the first minute, then leave the omelette alone for 4 to 5 minutes. It is ready to turn when the base is golden, the rim is firm, and the top remains moist but no longer liquid.

8. 8

   Flip and finish

   Loosen the edge with a spatula. Cover the pan with a flat plate wider than the rim, hold the two firmly together, and invert them in one committed movement. Slide the omelette back into the pan and cook the second side for 1 to 2 minutes, until the centre is just set. If the edge catches, tuck it underneath with the spatula. Nadie nace sabiendo. Rest the truita for 5 minutes before cutting it into wedges.

Chef Tips

• •Mongeta del ganxet has a thin skin and a particularly creamy centre. Small cannellini or Great Northern beans are the sensible substitutes; cook them until tender but intact, because broken beans will turn pasty in the eggs.
• •For a weeknight shortcut, replace the dried beans with 280g drained canned white beans. Rinse them, spread them on a towel, and dry them thoroughly. They will be softer and a little less nutty, but browning restores plenty of character.
• •Botifarra is a mild fresh pork sausage. If it isn't available, use an unsmoked fresh pork sausage without fennel or strong seasoning. Don't substitute chorizo: its paprika and cured flavour take over the eggs and turn this into another dish.
• •Chill a soft fresh sausage for 20 minutes before slicing. It firms enough to cut cleanly and holds its shape in the pan.
• •Serve the truita warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, keep them covered for up to 2 days, and warm them gently so the eggs don't toughen.

Advance Preparation

• •Soak the beans the night before. Once cooked and drained, they can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 2 days; dry them well before frying.
• •The botifarra can be sliced and the parsley chopped several hours ahead. Keep both covered and refrigerated.
• •The finished truita can be made up to 4 hours before serving and held covered at cool room temperature for no more than 2 hours, or refrigerated and brought out 20 minutes before eating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 190g)