Like many people, during lockdown I've been longing to see more than my 4-walls and I've been getting itchy feet and looking forward to exploring new places. While those plans have been put on hold for the time being, instead I've been taking a trip through memories of past travels and the food that stands out from each destination.
Not all memorable dishes are the headline act, some gently support the super-star and bring a meal together as a whole. Both comforting and flavoursome, one recipe that definitely fills that roll is a humble bowl of bean purée. This luscious crossover between a bean dip and mash is such a simple recipe, but it is surprising moorish. The earthy richness of these beans take me back to warm summer evenings in Santorini where they were served as a side-dish to almost everything from sausages to octopus and always served with a generous drizzle of olive oil.
The original version uses fava beans (broad beans), you may have some lying in a cupboard in your kitchen, but this recipe is super flexible and you can easily use cooked split peas or canned beans rather than fava (as in my version below). I'm sure it would work with any white bean, from butter beans to haricot, canellini to white kidney beans. You might get a bit of colour variation, but that shouldn't put you off using what to have to hand.
So from the comfort of your own home you can now take your tastebuds on a trip to Santorini - think blue skies and white walls, sunsets over the volcanic caledra and the warm glow from cobbled streets. Hopefully it won't be long until we can experience this again safely, but until then take comfort in a large helping of these Santorini Beans.
Santorini Beans
Ingredients
1 400g can of white beans
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
A really decent slug of extra virgin olive oil, about 3 tablespoons, plus more to serve
2 tsp salt
Equipment
1 small to medium saucepan
Stick blender
Knife and chopping board
Method
Empty you beans into a medium sized saucepan together with the liquid from the can. To this add in the chopped onion and garlic. Stir to combine and simmer everything gently for around 15 minutes until everything is softened. If it starts to dry out during this time simply add a little more water to avoid scorching the beans on the base of the pan.
Once your beans and onion have softened add in the salt and olive oil and remove from the heat. If you want to add any additional flavour (soft herbs such as sage and chives work really well) then add them at this stage. Take a stick blender and puree the mixture until smooth. If necessary add a little more seasoning to suit your taste.
Remember that the bean mixture will thicken up as it cools, so don't be afraid to add in a little more water or oil to loosen the texture. If they are a bit too loose simply return to the heat to evaporate some more liquid, but be warned, the hot purée plops and spits like a geyser!
To serve top the beans with a generous glug of olive oil, a sprinkle of paprika and enjoy. These beans can be used in place of a standard mash, and also go really well with grilled fish and seafood.
Comments