Puglian bean purée with padron peppers
Sage, fennel and chilli bring this cannellini bean purée to life. Great served with padron peppers or any other crudités.
Ingredients
- 200g/7oz dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight in lots of cold water
- 1 garlic bulb, cut in half
- 1 red chilli
- 3–4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for blending
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds, ground
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 200g/7oz padron peppers
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Drain the soaked beans, then place them in a pan and cover with fresh cold water. Add the garlic and chilli. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30–40 minutes, until the beans are tender.
Drain the beans well and place them in a food processor. Squeeze out the soft garlic from each clove and add to the beans. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, fennel seeds, chilli flakes and crushed garlic and blend the mixture until smooth. You may need to add a bit more extra virgin olive oil to get a really smooth consistency.
Heat another tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a frying a pan over a medium heat, then add the padron peppers. Sprinkle with salt, keep on stirring and removethe pan from the heat when the peppers are slightly browned. This should take about 5 minutes.
Serve the bean purée with the Padron peppers and some crusty bread on the side.