23.03.13 | BAKED BUTTER BEANS W/ PARSLEY & DILL

Do you remember that advert for horlicks or lemsip or something like that? You know the one right,  with the massive armchair that gives you a hug as you drink the horlicks/lempsip/gin?
Yes? No? Don't care?!
Well anyway, this is what this dish makes you feel like - like it's giving you a big fat hug which lets face it, with the weather still awful it's just what you need, a big old baked beany hug. Yep.

You can serve this two ways, either similar to this or by serving alongside some grilled chicken as a side dish. I did it the first way and served it with a hefty baguette & some feta.

Simple. Innit.

Go on - hug it out!



So for 4 as a main, or 8 as a side dish you will need:
recipe adapted from Falling Cloudberries

- 2 x 400g tin of butter beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 small red onions, finety chopped
- 2 celery stalks & leaves, chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 tins chopped tomatoes (reserve the remaining 1/2 tin)
- 4 tbsp flat leaf parsly, chopped
- 1 tbsp dill, chopped
 - 3 tbsp dried breadcrumbs (either buy (what?) or whizz up 2 slices of day old bread in a food processor)
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper

and you will need to do this:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180c / 350f / gm 4. Place your butter beans in a baking tray / oven proof dish.
2. In a large pan over a medium heat, saute the onions in 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Cook until they are softened & lightly golden, stirring often so as not to let them burn.
3. Once golden, turn off the heat. Add the celery, garlic, tomatoes, parsley, dill & the remaining olive oil. Season with a good pinch of salt & black pepper and mix well.

4. Pour this mixture over the butter beans in the oven proof dish and mix well. Add the bay leaf, cover & bake for approx 45 minutes.

5. After 45 minutes remove from the oven. Stir well and if the mixture looks as if it might be drying out a little you can add some of the leftover tomatoes or a little water.

6. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and return to the oven, uncovered for 30 minutes.

7. After 30 minutes, your beans should be tender with a golden top and a little sauce (you can always bake for a slightly longer time if needed).

8. Drizzle with olive oil, season with a little black pepper & enjoy!