Banging beans with roasted fennel and blood orange
I love beans, I don’t think people eat or cook enough with beans. They are so easy, cheap, healthy and versatile. From bean patties, falafel, dips to salads, stews, list goes on. I make these type of beans very often to go with freshly baked bread, salad or some sort of protein. It’s perfect when you have those end bits of veg and herbs, last drops of wine etc etc knocking about in the fridge. The recipe below is for you to make and adjust to your own preference and what you have in your cupboards/fridge that needs using up, so use this is a guidance. For completely vegan simply leave out the anchovies and cheese and use miso paste to achieve that umami flavour. I made a beautiful sourdough focaccia using a recipe from Maurizio which worked perfectly together, however any bread will do.
Ingredients
2 tins of any white bean or chickpeas
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 tin of anchovies (or 1 parmesan rind or miso paste for vegan)
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp fennel seeds
few sprigs of tarragon or 1 tsp dried
1 dl white wine
1 lemon, juice and zest
salt and pepper
olive oil
Method
Sauté all the chopped veg in a generous glug of olive oil in a big pan until soft, about 8 minutes. Add anchovies (or parmesan rind/miso paste), crushed fennel seeds, chili flakes, tarragon, salt and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Pour over the wine and let it evaporate. Add two tins of beans and the brine to the pan together with 2 dl of water. Let it cook for about an hour, uncovered.
After one hour the beans will be nice and creamy. Add lemon juice and zest, some fresh herbs and more salt and pepper if required.
Roasted fennel with blood orange
Ingredients
1 big fennel bulb
1 blood orange
1 tbsp fresh rosemary
olive oil
salt and pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Half and cut the fennel in 2cm think pieces, keeping the core.
Line a baking tray with grease proof paper and add the fennel, drizzle olive oil, juice of one blood orange and salt and pepper, toss well. Add the oranges to the tray and let them roast..
Roast for about 25 minutes or until nicely browned and soft, turning halfway.
Garnish with fennel dill and serve with the beans.
