Insalata di fagioli con "Speckpflaumen" (Bean Salad with Bacon-Plums)

A friend reading my blog asked if I could cook something with beans. She told me about a cold bean-dish from Naples - so far I haven't been able to find a satisfying recipe for this soup, but when browsing my cook-books I came across this recipe and couldn't resist. And I have to say: Yeah me for not resisting, it was delicious!!! 

This is the cook-book: Antipasti, Zabert Sandmann, 2000

Ingredients (serves 4):
600gr white thick beans (dried)
2 garlic cloves
1 bay leave (nope, not for me)
12 dried plums
1 red onion
1/2 bunch of parsley
200gr bacon slices
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons Aceto Balsamico (I used Crema di Balsamico, it's sweeter and not so "vinegary")
Salt and Pepper


Preparations:
1. Let the beans soak overnight in cold water, drain and rinse with water. Peel garlic cloves and cut into small pieces. Bring beans, garlic and bay leaf with water to the boil and let cook for about 1,5 hours. Drain and let cool.

Here's a pic of my overnight beans and one for comparison dried bean - soaked bean.

2. Let plums soak in water for 1 hour and dry well - I used soft plums so I skipped this step.

3. Peel onion and cut into thick pieces. Wash parsley, shake dry and pluck leaves from stems.

4. Wrap each plum with a slice of bacon, eventually use a toothpick to fix. Heat sunflower oil in a pan and fry at medium heat.

5. Mix olive oil, Balsamico, 2 tablespoons of water, salt and pepper. Pour over beans and mix well, let marinate for minimum 30 min. Eventually salt and pepper again.

6. Spoon beans on plate and garnish with onion and parsley. Serve with bacon-plums and bread.

And here is the masterpiece!!!