You won't find salsa and/or guacamole at the Oaxacan table. Instead, a bowl of black beans will be scented with avocado leaves and chiles de arbol. Being that avocado leaves are a hard find; Rick Bayless recommends a blend of bay leaves and fennel seed. Feel free to use canned beans, though I am using La Preferida black beans in this recipe.
Chef Claudia Galofre-Krevat
4 cups
10 minutes
30 minutes
Latin American
Side
You won't find salsa and/or guacamole at the Oaxacan table. Instead, a bowl of black beans will be scented with avocado leaves and chiles de arbol. Being that avocado leaves are hard to find, Rick Bayless recommends a blend of bay leaves and fennel seed. Feel free to use canned beans, though I am using La Preferida black beans in this recipe.
3 chiles de arbol, stems removed
5 bay leaves
1 tsp fennel seeds
4 cups cooked black beans
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup chopped white onion
Salt, to taste
Cast Iron Skillet
Blender
Put the chiles, the bay leaves, and the fennel seeds in a comal or iron skillet over medium heat. Stir and toast until aromatic. Remove from the heat.
Combine the beans, reserved bean broth, chiles, bay leaves, and fennel seeds in a blender and blend until smooth.
Heat the oil in a large skillet. When hot, add the onions and the blended bean mixture and stir to combine. Lower the heat to its lowest setting and cook for about 30 minutes, frequently stirring to keep the mixture from sticking to the pot. Season to taste.
Once they reach a smooth, pasty texture, serve them with tortilla chips.
