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1
Set the rack in the middle of the oven.
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2
(If slow-roasting fennel and tomatoes, set the second rack a few inches below.)
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3
Preheat the oven to 250F.
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4
Heat the oil in a heavy, 6-quart stove-to-oven casserole or Dutch oven.
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5
Cook the mushrooms over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
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6
Sprinkle with the salt (this will force the mushrooms to give up some liquid), and continue cooking and stirring until the mushrooms are browned and tender, 3 to 4 minutes longer.
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7
Toss in the leeks, garlic, and rosemary, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the leeks have wilted, about 3 minutes.
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8
Add the broth and olives and bring to a boil.
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9
Add half of the escarole, cover, and cook until it wilts, about 1 minute.
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10
Stir well.
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11
Add the remaining escarole and repeat.
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12
Turn off the heat.
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13
Push the vegetables aside and add the beans, taking care that they are buried under the escarole and covered with liquid.
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14
Cover, transfer the casserole to the oven, and bake until the beans are tender, 1 1/2 to 3 hours.
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15
Toward the end of cooking, add salt if needed and pepper to taste.
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16
(The stew may seem soupy at first, but will quickly thicken as it stands.)
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17
Just before serving, prepare the gremolata: Use a standard swivel vegetable peeler with very gentle pressure to remove the lemon zest (the yellow part only) in strips.
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18
(I find this works best when I move the peeler back and forth as Im moving it down.)
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19
Place the strips on a chopping board with the parsley and garlic and finely chop them together.
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20
Cut 4 thin slices of the lemon to use as garnish.
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21
To serve, stir in enough Balsamic Syrup to sharpen the flavors.
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22
Ladle the stew into large, shallow soup bowls.
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23
(Pasta bowls work well.)
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24
Float the lemon slices in the middle, and sprinkle a generous amount of gremolata on top.
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25
Other Ideas:
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26
Add finely chopped fennel stalks when you add the beans.
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27
Include chopped fennel fronds in the gremolata.
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28
Substitute large lima beans for the cannellini.
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29
They will expand to the size of small potatoes.
