Navy Beans - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup dried navy beans
2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 medium bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
4 cups chicken stock
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Place the beans in a colander and rinse with cold running water.
Pick over the beans to remove any stones or foreign objects.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy stock pot.
Add the onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes or until the onion becomes transparent.
Add the bay leaf and thyme and saute for 1 minute.
Add the beans and chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until the beans are tender.
Uncover the pot and skim the surface of the bean liquid from time to time to remove any scum that may have formed.
Remove the pot from the heat, season the beans with salt and pepper to taste, and drain any excess liquid from the beans.
Remove the bay leaf and serve hot.