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Whatever they're called, bean bites are delicious

You could call these bean croquettes. You could call them bean fritters. You could even call them mini bean cakes.

All of those names would be appropriate. But I think of them as super delicious Italian refried bean bites.

They are so delicious, in fact, that I ate a good portion of the recipe standing at the stove. I'd fry a batch, transfer them to a paper-towel lined plate to drain, then shape and fry the next batch and munch on the previous cooked ones as the little cakes browned in the hot olive oil.

The recipe is adapted from my favorite cooking-theme website Food52.com.

Cannellini Bean Croquettes

1/2 cup olive oil, divided use

1 clove garlic

1 handful PLUS 1 sprig fresh herbs, I used a combination of tarragon and mint, torn or roughly chopped, divided use

3 cups drained, cooked cannellini beans (canned is fine)

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar

Salt and ground black pepper

1 egg

3/4 to 1 cup plain breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil

In a wide skillet over low-medium, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, garlic clove and the handful fresh herbs, and cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. If the herbs get dry and crisp, remove them using tongs or a slotted spoon, leaving as much of the oil in the skillet as possible. When the garlic is golden, add the beans and cook, stirring to combine the beans well with the herbs. Add the vinegar, salt and plenty of pepper, and continue cooking gently for 5 to 10 minutes, until some of the liquid has evaporated and the beans are beginning to break down.

Remove from the heat. Finely chop the remaining sprig of herbs. Add the chopped herbs to the beans and mash with a potato masher (or push the mixture through a coarse sieve). Transfer mixture to bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. (Mixture can be refrigerated overnight.)

When cool, add the egg and mix well. If the mixture seems a bit dry, add a teaspoon or so of olive oil. Roll scant tablespoons of the mixture into walnut-sized balls. Coat balls in breadcrumbs and slightly flatten each ball.

Place on a lined baking sheet or board until all of the croquettes are ready. (I shaped and fried in batches rather than shaping all of the bean croquettes at once.)

In a wide skillet, heat the remaining olive oil along with the butter over medium heat. Working in batches, gently pan-fry the croquettes, turning once until golden brown on both sides. Drain briefly on paper towels. Serve hot or warm.

Makes about 25 croquettes.

Food on 04/22/2015

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