Flageolet Gratin

Heat a medium pot over high heat for 2 minutes. Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil, and add the rosemary sprig and crumbled chile. Let them sizzle in the oil a minute. Add the diced onion, fennel, garlic, 1 tablespoon thyme, and the bay leaf, stirring a minute or two, until the onion is wilted. Add the flageolets, and cook a few more minutes, stirring to coat the beans with the oil.

Cover with water by 3 inches, and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to low, and place a paper towel over the beans to keep them under the surface.

Simmer for 30 minutes, and then add 2 1/2 teaspoons salt to the beans. Continue cooking on a low simmer about 1 hour, until the beans are tender. As the beans cook, add water as necessary (but don’t add too much—you want these juices to be rich and a little starchy, since they will be an important part of the finished gratin). Remove the beans from the heat, and let them cool in their juices. Taste for seasoning.