If you’re new here, WELCOME…This is first and foremost a place for recipes, but also where I can dish out expertise on the only thing I truly know about- how to feed your friends. I hope that You Bring The Wine either remains, or becomes, your ultimate tool kit.
People have strong views on beans, that much has become clear to me. I think it’s the nostalgia, but regardless, beans are a food that people have feelings about. I have friends that serve baked beans with every roast dinner, I know people that wince at the sight of them.
In school, where beans were only ever tipped from an industrial sized tin of Heinz, heated to a kind of lukewarm/cold temperature and stuffed into a jacket potato, I had a kind of visceral hatred for them. Weirdly, I could now eat cold Heinz beans straight from the tin.
Anyway, I guess the point is, feelings change, beans change. If you used to hate beans and dread the idea of serving them even as a side, I really urge you to give these a go. They’re soupy, they’re leek-y, they’re dreamy.
To some people, this looks like a bit of a side dish. And yes, you could serve these beans under a cute little fillet of fish, or alongside a fat shoulder of lamb, and they would be great. BUT I'm here to pitch for the side chick getting the chance to go it alone. Whack them in the middle of the table, let them be the star of the show, they’re better off solo.
You may, however, scatter with toasted nuts, breadcrumbs and maybe some feta or parmesan. You could even serve the beans up with a side dish of their own, a rocket salad maybe, garlic bread definitely.
SERVES: 4
TIME: 30 MINS
The when… is all winter long. When you want something quick, something warming and something veggie. The why… is a partly a speed thing, partly an ease thing, partly a can-find-all-ingredients-in-my-local thing. It’s also that that this dish could be that thing that made your mate change their mind about beans. Maybe.
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
4 large leeks, finely sliced
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 cloves garlic
120ml white wine
2 X 600g of butterbeans (1 ½ cans if you can’t find the jars- using the water from one of the cans only)
1 stock cube or pot
1 lemon
Handful dill (or parsley)
Extra toppings eg. Roasted nuts, feta or parmesan
METHOD
Pour the oil into a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the sliced leeks along with a fat pinch of salt and gently fry for 10-15 mins, until totally softened. Whilst they cook, finely slice the garlic.
Add the garlic and fennel seeds and cook for a couple more mins, then add the white wine. (As a note here, I often chuck in a tin of anchovies at this point- add it if you want to) Turn up the heat to medium high, and bubble away until the wine had reduced by half.
Tip the whole jars of butterbeans into the pan- with any liquid from the jar/can as well. Add about 200ml water and the stock cube/pot and bubble for around 5 mins. It should be a soupy consistency. Roughly chop the herbs.
Add the juice of half of the lemon, along with most of the herbs. Taste and season, then tip into bowls. Scatter with the remaining herbs, a crack of black pepper, plus any other toppings you might fancy.
WASHING LEEKS…
I used to find myself peeling away the outer layers of leeks, attempting to get rid of any dirt in there, and constantly finding a bit more and peeling away so many more layers than I needed to.
THEN, I was taught to slice them before rinsing the slices, this gets rid of the dirt AND I find that they soften and sweat better this way. Give it a go…
I eat out of this bowl so much and it brings me total joy every single time. It’s big enough for soups / noodles/ late night cereal. Go get one.
Tell me what you want?! Tell me what kind of recipes you want more of on the newsletter! Maybe we’ll get a dessert on the menu…
See you there xxx