flipMojhettes à la Charentaise
Mojhettes à la Charentaise
Why this dish? A popular and nourishing dish from the Charente, mojhettes (white beans) with local butter perfectly embody the "sober and regular" diet that Monnet kept from his childhood in Cognac, without excess and true to provincial cooking.
Fresh or dried white beans, gently simmered with aromatics and then bound with a knob of Charentais butter. A cuisine of economy and patience, eaten hot as a main dish or warm as a side.
You see, at home in Cognac, mojhettes came back to the table like a sensible old habit. My mother would let them swell the night before, then entrust them to a slow fire all morning, never rushing them — nothing good is done in haste. We finished with a fine knob of local butter and a turn of the pepper mill, not too much. It was simple, nourishing, and taught moderation, which never hurt anyone.
- •Dried white beans (mojhettes) — a large bowl (base of the dish)
- •Charentais sweet butter — a fine knob (binding and flavor)
- •Onion studded with a clove — 1 (aromatic)
- •Bouquet of thyme and bay leaf — 1 (flavor)
- •Garlic cloves — 2 (flavor base)
- •Salt, pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Mojhettes à la Charentaise
Fresh or dried white beans, gently simmered with aromatics and then bound with a knob of Charentais butter. A cuisine of economy and patience, eaten hot as a main dish or warm as a side.
Why this dish? A popular and nourishing dish from the Charente, mojhettes (white beans) with local butter perfectly embody the "sober and regular" diet that Monnet kept from his childhood in Cognac, without excess and true to provincial cooking.
You see, at home in Cognac, mojhettes came back to the table like a sensible old habit. My mother would let them swell the night before, then entrust them to a slow fire all morning, never rushing them — nothing good is done in haste. We finished with a fine knob of local butter and a turn of the pepper mill, not too much. It was simple, nourishing, and taught moderation, which never hurt anyone.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried white beans (mojhettes) — a large bowl (base of the dish)
- Charentais sweet butter — a fine knob (binding and flavor)
- Onion studded with a clove — 1 (aromatic)
- Bouquet of thyme and bay leaf — 1 (flavor)
- Garlic cloves — 2 (flavor base)
- Salt, pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Dried white beans (lingot or coco) — 300 g (base of the dish)
- Sweet butter (ideally AOP Charentes-Poitou) — 40 g (binding and flavor)
- Onion — 1, studded with 2 cloves (aromatic)
- Garlic cloves — 2 (flavor base)
- Thyme and bay leaf — 1 bouquet (flavor)
- Salt, pepper — to taste (seasoning)
- Chopped flat-leaf parsley — 2 tbsp (finish)
Method
- The night before, soak the beans in a large volume of cold water for 12 hours, then drain.
- Place them in a pot with the clove-studded onion, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf, cover generously with unsalted cold water.
- Bring to a simmer and cook over very low heat for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, until tender. Salt only at the end of cooking (salt hardens the skin).
- Remove the onion and herbs, drain, reserving a little cooking liquid.
- Return the beans to low heat with a little liquid, add the butter and stir to coat. Adjust salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.
How it was made : In the Charente, mojhettes were cooked in the hearth in an earthenware pot left near the embers, sometimes for the whole morning. Butter, abundant in this dairy region, replaced oil and marked the local flavor.
The contemporary twist : A spoonful of white pineau deglazed at the end of cooking adds subtle roundness, a nod to the Monnet house.
Jean Monnet · Charactorium