In the tinned versus dried beans debate, I go for the former to save time, but only when they are going to get a long cook with other ingredients – in a soup or stew, for example. But when flavour and texture are called for, I always go for dried. The key to success is in how you treat them. Much like you and I, every variety of bean has different needs: some require a little extra love, such as a good overnight soak, whereas others demand little more than a rinse and a quick cook. Prepared correctly, the result is a pot of beautifully cooked beans flavoured with your chosen aromatics and seasonings, making a wholesome yet frugal addition to any meal – minus, of course, the tin.
White bean mash with confit garlic aïoli (pictured above)
I use garlic-infused olive oil three times in this dish: first to flavour a basic bean mash, then to make a thick aïoli to go on top and finally in a layer of cooked beans to add textural interest. Omit the anchovies, if you like, to make it vegan. Serves six as a meze or side dish, or as a dip for flatbread.
Soak Overnight
Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr 20 min
Serves 6 as a side
350g dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight in lots of cold water and 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 onion, peeled and cut into 8 wedges
10 garlic cloves (ie, from about 1 whole head), peeled
3 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
1 green chilli, halved lengthways
200ml olive oil
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 anchovy fillets, drained (optional)
90ml lemon juice (ie, from about 4 lemons)
Salt and black pepper
10g fresh dill, roughly chopped
½ tsp aleppo chilli flakes (or another variety)
Drain the beans and put them in a large saucepan for which you have a lid. Add the onion and enough cold water to cover by about 4cm, then bring to a boil on a medium-high heat. Cover, turn the heat down to medium and cook for about 50 minutes, or until the beans are very soft and starting to break up, then drain in a colander.
Meanwhile, put the garlic, thyme, rosemary, green chilli and olive oil in a small saucepan for which you have a lid. Cover, put on a medium-low heat and leave to cook gently for 25-30 minutes, or until the garlic has softened and is just starting to colour. Take off the heat, set aside for 10 minutes, still covered, then strain through a sieve set over a bowl, to catch the solids and reserve the oil. Pick out the herbs and chilli, and set aside. Put the garlic in the small bowl of a food processor with 100g cooked beans, the mustard, anchovies (if using), two tablespoons of lemon juice, 75ml garlic oil, a tablespoon of water, an eighth of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Blitz to a smooth, mayo-like consistency.
In a small bowl, mix 150g cooked beans with a tablespoon and a half of lemon juice, three tablespoons of garlic oil, the dill, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper.
Once the remaining beans are cool, tip them and the onions into a food processor, and add two and a half tablespoons of lemon juice, three tablespoons of garlic oil, a half-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Blitz for a minute, until you have a thick but smooth mash, then transfer to a shallow bowl and spread out over the base, making a slight well in the centre. Fill the well with the confit garlic aïoli, smoothing it out, then top with the herby bean mixture. Sprinkle over the aleppo chilli, top with the reserved chilli, rosemary and thyme, and serve.
Rice and mung bean kubbeh
Kubbeh comes in many shapes and forms, one of them being this Iraqi rice version. Known as kubbeh halab, it’s usually stuffed with spiced lamb or beef, but here I’ve used mung beans (which are technically legumes, not beans) to make a vegetarian alternative.
Prep 10 min
Cook 2 hr 10 min
Serves 6 as a starter
350g basmati rice
¼ tsp ground turmeric
Salt and black pepper
1 egg, beaten
105ml olive oil
80g green mung beans
1½ onions, peeled and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp ground allspice
10g picked coriander leaves, roughly chopped
2 lemons – 1 juiced, to get 1 tbsp, the other cut into 6 wedges
500ml sunflower oil, for frying, plus extra for shaping
150g Greek-style yoghurt, to serve
Put the rice in a sieve and rinse under the cold tap until the water runs clear. Leave to drain for five minutes, then transfer to a medium saucepan for which you have a lid. Add 750ml water, the turmeric and two teaspoons of salt, and bring to a boil on a medium-high heat. Turn the heat to low, cover and leave to cook for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it sit, still covered, for 15 minutes more.
Tip the cooked rice into a bowl and leave to cool for 30 minutes. Add the egg, three tablespoons of olive oil, 70ml water and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and mix to combine. Use your hands to mash the rice into a sticky dough – enough so that the grains are no longer discernible – then cover and set aside.
Meanwhile, cook the mung beans in boiling water for about 25 minutes, or until softened and slightly overcooked. Drain through a sieve, then run under cold water to cool. Transfer to a bowl and use your hands or the back of a fork to mash the beans very roughly, making sure you keep some of them intact.
Put three tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and well browned – about 12 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli, fry for a minute, then add the spices and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Tip into the mung bean bowl, and mix in the coriander, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt, a tablespoon of lemon juice, the remaining tablespoon of oil and a good grind of black pepper.
Keeping a small bowl of sunflower oil beside you, oil your hands and roll the rice mixture into 20 balls each weighing 55-60g. Take one ball in one hand, then use your free index finger to push a deep cavity in the centre of the ball, swivelling as you go, to create a cavity about 4cm wide; take care you don’t pierce it all the way through. Spoon a tablespoon of the bean mixture into the cavity (about 15-20g worth), then use your hands to seal and shape the kubbeh into the traditional “torpedo” shape. Smooth out any cracks on the outside, making sure the kubbeh is well sealed, then repeat with the remaining rice balls and bean filling, re-oiling your hands as required.
Put the sunflower oil in a medium, high-sided saute pan on a medium-high heat and, when hot, fry the kubbeh in batches for about eight to 10 minutes in total, turning them halfway, or until crisp and lightly golden. Transfer to a tray lined with kitchen paper and repeat with the remaining kubbeh. Serve warm or at room temperature with the lemon wedges and yoghurt alongside.
Braised beef short ribs with butterbeans and figs
Don’t be intimidated by the cooking time here; once the pot goes in the oven, it’s mostly a waiting game, so you can prep everything in the afternoon and have it ready in time for a decadent dinner – just make sure you get ahead by soaking the beans first.
Soak Overnight
Prep 25 min
Cook 4 hr 10 min
Serves 4
2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
4cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 green chillies, roughly chopped, seeds and all
6 beef short ribs (ie, about 1.5kg)
Salt and black pepper
60ml olive oil
4 whole star anise
10 cardamom pods, roughly bashed open in a mortar
1½ tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp ground cumin
5-6 large plum tomatoes, two thirds roughly chopped, the rest roughly grated and skins discarded
100g soft dried figs, roughly chopped into 1½cm pieces
250g dried butter beans, soaked overnight in plenty of water and 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
30g chives, very finely chopped
1½ tbsp lemon juice
300g large leaf spinach, stems discarded and leaves roughly torn
Heat the oven to 185C (165C fan)/365F/gas 4½. In a food processor, pulse the onions, garlic, ginger and chillies a few times, until very finely chopped.
Pat dry the short ribs and lightly sprinkle them all over with salt and pepper. Put two tablespoons of oil in a large, cast-iron, ovenproof saucepan for which you have a lid, and heat on a medium-high flame. In batches of two, fry the short ribs until golden on all sides – about four minutes a batch – then transfer to a tray while you repeat with the rest.
Tip the onion mixture into the same pan, add the star anise and cardamom, and cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes, or until softened. Add the tomato paste, ground spices, chopped tomatoes (reserve the grated ones), a teaspoon and a half of salt and a good grind of pepper, and cook for four minutes, until the tomatoes start to break down. Return the short ribs to the pan, add 1.1 litres cold water and bring to a boil. Cover, transfer to the oven and cook for three hours, stirring every now and then. Add the figs, and cook for 30 minutes more, until they have softened and the meat is tender and almost falling off the bone.
While the ribs are cooking, drain the beans and put them in a medium saucepan for which you have a lid. Pour over enough water to cover by about 4cm and bring to a boil on a medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium and cook the beans for 60-70 minutes, or until they are soft but still retain their shape; add a teaspoon of salt for the last 15 minutes of cooking. When done, cover with a lid and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix the chives with the remaining two tablespoons of oil, lemon juice, an eighth of a teaspoon of salt and a grind of pepper.
Lift the short ribs from the pan, and gently tug at the bones to pull them away from the meat (discard the bones). Put the pan on a medium-high heat and, once the contents are bubbling, add the spinach and stir until it has wilted – about three minutes. Add the grated tomato and remove from the heat.
To serve, drain the beans and discard their cooking liquid, then stir into the chive oil. Divide the sauce between four plates, and top first with the bean mixture and then the meat, reserving any extra ribs for seconds.
