Slow Cooked Courgette, Mint and Butter Bean Stew
Ingredients
Feeds 4-6
200g dried butter beans, soaked in water overnight
8 garlic cloves
1-2 fresh bay leaves
Salt and pepper
100ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2-3 tbsp extra
6 courgettes, sliced into 15-20mm chunks
100ml vermouth or white wine
2-3 strips lemon rind, plus 1-2 tbsp juice
1 small handful thyme leaves, chopped
2 big handful mint leaves, roughly chopped, plus a few small leaves to serve
4-6 slices toast
200g goat’s curd, to serve
Recipe
Garlic is wonderful at this time of year: sweet and succulent, with none of the bitterness of its winter counterpart. It is brought to the foreground in this light and velvety stew, which I would happily eat all through the summer. The texture of the beans is everything in this recipe, so make sure you soak them overnight. Light, velvety and wonderfully garlicky, this is the perfect stew for the summer.
Drain the beans, put in a large pan and cover with plenty of fresh cold water.
Smash the garlic cloves once with the flat of a knife, to peel easily, and add four cloves to the beans along with the bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and simmer gently for 45-55 minutes, until the beans are tender but still holding their shape, skimming the surface of any froth. (If the beans boil vigorously, their skins tend to break and they lose shape.) Take off the heat and add enough salt to make the cooking liquid taste good. Leave the beans to cool in the liquid.
Slice three of the remaining garlic cloves. Warm the oil in a wide, deep pan over a medium-high heat and, once hot, add the sliced garlic and courgettes. Fry for five to seven minutes, until the courgettes begin to turn golden. Turn the heat down to medium-low, season with a little salt and cook for a further 10 minutes, until tender.
Drain the beans, discarding the bay and garlic, and stir into the courgettes with the wine, lemon rind, thyme and a few tablespoons of water. Cook for five minutes, to allow the flavours to bond, then taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Take off the heat and stir in the mint.
Rub the hot toast with the last garlic clove and drizzle with a little olive oil. Put in shallow bowls and spoon over the stew. Top with a large dessertspoon of goat’s curd and scatter generously with more mint leaves and an extra drizzle of olive oil to serve.
