Tolosa Bean Stew

This is a dish from the glorious mountains and valleys of my beloved Basque Country. It is a classic of the hamlets where black beans are harvested twice a year. The beans grown around this area are of excellent quality and justly famous. If you are ever in the area I recommend a visit on a Wednesday to the market at Ordicia, where you will see the village women selling small, highly coloured pulses from sacks. The main feature of this dish is that the broth becomes very thick. This takes m