The old, dead, mollusk still has a huge amount to offer science, reports the Herald-Sun. Scientists believe it will provide valuable data on changing sea temperatures over the last half-millenniumâand maybe even some clues to longevity.
Method. 1. Soak the beans. Rinse the dried beans in water and put them in a large bowl. Cover with at least 4 times their volume of water and leave to soak overnight. 2. Drain and rinse the beans and put them into a pot with a heavy lid. Add just enough cold water to cover them. 3. Add the rosemary, garlic, and a drizzle of olive oil. Bring the beans to a boil, then cover and simmer them gently for 20 to 30 minutes or until the beans are tender but not mushy. The cooking time will depend on the size and age of the beans.
First, I cooked three pots of beans: one soaked overnight, one quick-soaked (brought to a boil and left to sit, covered for one hour), and one simply covered with boiling water. To each pot I added a hunk of salt pork, some sliced onion and a bit of garlic. I simmered them slowly on top of the stove, covered. The two soaked beans did cook more quickly than the unsoaked -- they were finished in about 1 hour and 15 minutes, as opposed to two hours. But when I sampled them, the extra 45 minutes paid off. The two pots of soaked beans were pallid compared to the unsoaked (though the long-soaked were better than the quick-soaked).