Improvised Beans Recipe

Paul Lynch
Sides

Serves 6, large casserole required

  • 1 cup cannellini beans - 250g
  • 1/2 cup butter beans - 150g
  • 1/2 small stick salami, cut into chunks - 125g
  • 1 pack of ‘streaky rashers’ - uncured pork, more or less belly; cut into chunks - 350g-500g
  • 1 onion, cut coarsely - vertical slices works for this dish
  • 1 head garlic, cloves skinned; about 10 fat cloves
  • 1 tin tomatoes
  • stock
  • herbs - parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme

Soak the beans overnight separately. Change the water, and boil fast for ten minutes. Immediately drain the butter beans, but leave the cannelini in their hot water, or possibly continue to heat, for a further 20 minutes.

Fry the pork to brown in a little oil in the bottom of a casserole. When brown, add the coarsely chopped onion and soften slightly. The bottom of the pan will be very brown with pork essences, don’t let that blacken or burn.

Add the tomatoes, garlic, salami, beans (drained) and herbs - 3-4 leaves of sage, a small sprig of rosemary, and the leaves from a couple of branches of thyme. Add stock to cover and season - 1 tsp salt, a heavy grind of pepper.

Bake in oven for 1-2 hours; gas mark 5, 150C/350F. Don’t overcook.

Serve with bread, dress with chopped parsley.

Variations: Could try different beans, obviously, or vary the herbs; the strong herbs, rosemary and sage, are important to the dish. You really want white beans for this dish, and I think the butter beans are significant. I’d like to try it with belly of pork, or brined pork, or even lean salt pork.