This recipe from NYT Cooking is a keeper. The featured ingredient is chile crisp, a Sichuan-style Chinese condiment made with oil, onion and spices. Cook garlic and the white and light green parts of scallions. Add tomato paste, chile crisp and beans. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for about 10 minutes. If you want the top to be browner, broil for a few minutes. Cook’s note: I used minced fresh onion instead of dried in the chile crisp.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I haven’t been able to find preservative-free chile crisp, so I made my own. The recipe, also from NYT Cooking, is below. Make sure to check the spices for colour or anti-caking agents. Simple brand tomato paste is free of additives. Blue Menu white beans are free of preservatives. You could also soak and cook a cup of dried white beans. Make sure the cheddar does not contain colour.

Cheesy chile crisp white beans

Ingredients:

Chile crisp

½ cup (125 ml) vegetable oil

¼ cup (60 ml) dried minced onion

1 teaspoon (5 ml) granulated sugar

1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) kosher salt

1/3 cup (85 ml) finely crushed dried small red chiles or red-pepper flakes

3 tablespoons (45 ml) sesame seeds

1 teaspoon (5 ml) coarsely ground Sichuan peppercorns

Beans

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

3 fat garlic cloves, thinly sliced

3 scallions, thinly sliced, white and light green parts separated from dark greens

1 tablespoon (15 ml) tomato paste

2 teaspoons to 2 tablespoons (10 ml to 30 ml) chile crisp or chile paste, to taste

2 (15-ounce/425 g) cans white beans, such as cannellini or Great Northern, drained and rinsed

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) fine sea salt, plus more to taste

8 ounces (227 g) sharp white Cheddar, grated (about 2 cups/500 ml)

Preparation:

Chile crisp

Combine the oil, onion, ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) sugar and ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes evenly golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the chiles, sesame seeds and Sichuan peppercorns and sizzle, stirring, for 1 minute, then stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) sugar and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Makes 1¼ cups (310 ml).

Beans

Heat oven to 475 degrees F (246 C). In a 10-inch (25-cm) ovenproof skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add garlic and white and light green scallion slices, reserving the dark greens for later. Cook until lightly golden, 1 to 3 minutes. Carefully stir in tomato paste and chile crisp and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the beans and salt. Taste mixture, adding more salt and chili crisp as needed (remember that the cheese will add saltiness, so don’t overdo the salt here). Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and browned in spots. If you’d like to toast the top further, run the skillet under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with reserved scallion greens and serve. Serves 4.

From NYT Cooking