The very first time I had fresh beans was at Camerahols http://camerahols.com/ where I took a photography course with Roger Stowell http://stowell.wordpress.com/. Roger had made a clear soup with herbs and white coco beans, les mogettes, from the Vendee region of France. What a revelation! Since then, I’ve acquired a fresh bean obsession; borlotti, mogettes, favas and coco beans are caviar to me!
Like the mogettes of Vendee, coco beans from Paimpol cook up round, plump and firm with a creamy interior. Cooked simply with aromatics and herbs or with the addition of smoked meats, tomatoes and spinach these beans are delicious!
I made the beans for a light supper and set aside a mini casserole for M. Parret.
For lunch we had a lovely smoked salmon salad with quail eggs! We love quail eggs!
Anyway.
Paimpol Coco Beans
1/4 -1/2 cup lardons/bacon diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
Leaves from 4-5 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
3 cups fresh coco beans
Salt and pepper
Water
Brown the lardons in the olive oil. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft. Add the thyme, bay leaves, beans, salt, pepper and water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for 20-30 minutes until the insides are creamy.
Wine suggestion: Beaujolais
Cooking in Sens 
Ooooh I made a coco soup earlier this week. Like you, ever since I had fresh coco beans, I have been addicted, they are so creamy, delicious, and delicate. Your version looks delicious! I’ll try to get more at the market tomorrow!
Thank you Darya. They are so good!
Your beans look fantastic – I had some great Catalan broad beans yesterday, which were probably done in a similar manner 😉
Thank you Mad. You really can’t go wrong with beans, garlic, onion and bacon 🙂
A bowl of fresh cooked beans with ham and onions – and cornbread with apple butter and a baked apple for dessert brings back memories of cool Fall and Winter days in Indiana when mom would prepare this meal.. Loved your version and picture.
Thank you Sue.
I wish I could find quail eggs round here. There are so many possibilities! And how fun to take a course with Roger. 🙂
I wish you did too! Raise quail? Roger is a perfect teacher and just an all around great person to spend time with.
I can’t even convince my husband to raise chickens! 🙂 I do keep my eye out though as I’d love to try it.
I so wish we had cocos here. Delicious!
Michelle, if I get to the house in PA and can’t get fresh beans, I’m going to ask my husband to plant them!
I’ve never seen cocos in the States—beans or seeds. So… do you have access to a diplomatic pouch? Be sure to smuggle some seeds in when you return. I’ll help you grow them and we might become rich once people learn how delicious they are. 🙂
I’m looking for seeds now 🙂
Reblogged this on global_food.
I’ll try to find fresh beans after reading this post!!
Good luck!
Love that salad! Smoked salmon is the best!
Thank you Tessa. The salmon was exceptional. .
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I am a bit of a bean-fiend too! 2/5 posts on my blog feature them (I’m new!). I always use tinned but will search for fresh next time! Lovely dish.
Thank you forecast. The market is full of fresh beans here in France!
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I love cocos de Paimpol! Have you ever tried Patricia Wells’ recipe for them cooked in mustard sauce? Delicious!
No, but it’s sounds like I need to. Thanks. Do you have the recipe?
I found it reproduced here: http://www.cyberphun.com/recipes/white-beans-with-mustard-and-sage.html
Can you see it okay?
Thanks Daisy. I love the heavy garlic but will use dijon instead of american mustard if I can find the beans.
Vacationing in brittany from canada and had my first coco de paimpol today. Found them in a little marche, ran to our rental lodgings and made a simple dish similar to your recipe which I just found. Absolutely the best beans ever. Now, I have to try to figure out how to bring some home. Dried? Seeds for next year?
Hi Helen. Fresh is always best. Try for seeds next year. I’m going to try to get someone to send seeds from France also. They are the best!
I found some seeds at the local Leclerc. I declared them at Canada Customs upon entering the country and had no problem bringing them in since the quantity was so small. Will plant them next spring.If you are in the US, I noticed that Rancho gordo stocks the Tarbais beans as well as Flageolet. http://www.ranchogordo.com
Shipping costs to Canada make importation prohibitive, unfortunately.
Thanks for the link Helen. How stupid of me not to go to Leclerc before I left!