Perfect borlotti beans
Plump, creamy and substantial, the only downside is that they lose their speckled markings when cooked. Perfect as a simple side dish or mashed with green herbs to top a bruschetta. Fold them into a rich tomato sauce for some posh baked beans, drop them into stews and soups, or even substitute them for mash under your favourite bangers, served with a slick of hot mustard and wilted greens. When the season is over you can still buy them cooked and tinned from our store cupboard staples range.
Ingredients
- 500g borlotti beans
- bay leaf
- 3 garlic cloves, bashed with the back of a knife
- small sprig rosemary, thyme or sage
- 1 small tomato, crushed in the hand
- salt
Method
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Step 1
Pod the beans and place them in a pan of cold water, throw in the remaining ingredients.
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Step 2
Bring to the boil and simmer until soft and yielding, somewhere between 25-40 minutes, skim any foam that forms on the surface. Now salt the water well, rest for 10 minutes to let the beans take on some of the seasoning.
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Step 3
Drain, saving the cooking water, remove all the non-bean cooking debris. Dress with olive oil, plenty of lemon juice and some more salt if needed. If you want a wetter mix add a dash of the cooking liquid and mash a few of the beans with a fork.