CREAMY BUTTER BEANS & CARAMELISED FENNEL

Creamy, comforting and elegant, this is a simple dish that lets great ingredients do the talking. Perelló’s butter beans are cooked gently until tender, making them perfect for blending into a silky purée that will be the base for the caramelised, slow-cooked fennel.

Serve as a light lunch with good bread, or as a vegetable side alongside roast chicken or grilled fish.

Creamy butter beans and caramelised fennel

READY IN

30 mins

COOKING TIME

20 mins

PREP TIME

10 mins

SERVES

2 people

ingredients

1 fennel bulb, cut lengthways into wedges

1 x 400g tin Perelló butter beans, drained

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp picked thyme leaves

½ lemon

Olive oil

IN STOCK

Salt & pepper

Method:

Heat a splash of olive oil in a pan over a gentle heat. Add the shallot and garlic with a pinch of salt and cook for 2–3 minutes until soft and fragrant.
Add the butter beans to the pan along with the bean liquid (or water) to prevent the mixture from drying out. Cook gently for 4–5 minutes until the beans are soft and warmed through.
Transfer around two thirds of the bean mixture to a blender. Blend until smooth, adding a little more water if needed to reach a creamy, spoonable purée. Season to taste with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Meanwhile, heat another pan with a little olive oil over a medium heat. Add the fennel wedges and cook until golden on all sides. Lower the heat and continue cooking for 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally, until completely tender. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Spoon the butter bean purée onto a serving plate and spread it out. Top with the fennel wedges, the remaining butter beans and the thyme leaves. Finish with a final squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil.