Red Kidney Bean Puree

• 1/2 pound red kidney beans, washed and picked over
• 1 1/2 cups full-bodied red wine
• 1 stick cinnamon or a pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1 onion stuck with 1 clove Herb bouquet made with thyme, parsley and bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Few drops balsamic vinegar

1. Soak the beans in cold water overnight.
2. Heat the wine in a saucepan with spices, onion, herbs and peppers and two cups of water.
3. Bring the liquid to a boil and keep it at a simmer.
4. Meanwhile, drain the beans, cover them with cold water and bring them to a boil.
5. Boil hard for five minutes and drain.
6. Immediately add the beans to the simmering wine, cover and cook over medium low heat one to one-and-a-half hours.
7. Add boiling water if necessary to keep the beans covered.
8. (Season with one teaspoon of salt only when the beans are tender.)
9. Drain the beans, reserving one-half cup of the cooking liquid.
10. Discard the cinnamon stick, bouquet and onion.
11. Puree the beans in a food processor; for a finer result one can then press them with the cooking liquid through the fine blade of a food mill.
12. Return the beans to the saucepan and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, over low heat until the puree becomes thick enough to come away from the sides of the pan.
13. Gradually beat in the butter.
14. Correct the seasoning.
15. (The beans can be prepared one day in advance.
16. Reheat them slowly in a double boiler or a covered glass dish in the microwave.)

kidney beans, fullbodied red wine, cinnamon, onion, red pepper, salt, unsalted butter, vinegar

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/3639 (may not work)