Runner bean and tomato casserole recipe
A summer ladero (olive oil-based) classic, this dish is traditionally cooked with all the ingredients thrown together into the pan. In this, my interpretation, the beans are blanched and thrown into ice-cold water to retain their vibrant green colour, and the potato is cooked separately and serves as a bed upon which the gorgeous tomato and bean casserole rests.
The dish works brilliantly as an accompaniment to grilled meats or fish, and I have chosen to serve it as such on a big platter. The feta is always a welcome accompaniment to ladera dishes, but you can omit it or replace it with a soft plant-based cheese to make a nutritious vegan meal. As with all ladera dishes, hold back some extra-virgin olive oil to sprinkle over at the end.
Ingredients
For the bean casserole- 500 g runner beans
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 20 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 50 ml dry white wine
- 1 x 400g/14oz tin of chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 pinch caster sugar
- 250 ml vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- 50 g fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp pistachio nuts, crushed
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 100 g feta
- 250 g Maris Piper potatoes, or other potatoes suitable for mashing
- 50 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch grated nutmeg
- 250 g carrots
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 0.5 tsp ground coriander (cilantro)
- 1 drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh mixed herbs (mint, coriander/cilantro, parsley)
Details
- Cuisine: Greek
- Recipe Type: Casserole
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 25 mins
- Cooking Time: 70 mins
- Serves: 6
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
- First make the feta crumb. Put the fresh breadcrumbs and crushed pistachios on a baking tray, sprinkle with the olive oil, dried oregano and pepper, and toss to mix. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a bowl. When the crumb is cool, mix in the crumbled feta and set aside until needed.
- Top and tail the beans if they need it (this normally pulls away any stringy bits along their sides) and blanch them in gently boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and drop into a bowl of ice-cold water, leave to cool, then drain again and put to one side.
- Put the chopped onion into a saucepan with the oil and cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic and toss for a minute or so, then add the wine and cook until it has almost evaporated.
- Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, sugar, stock, parsley and spring onions, and cook on a low heat for about 20 minutes. Add the beans and simmer for a further 10 minutes, until cooked.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into roughly equal chunks. Put them into a pan, cover with cold water and add a pinch of salt and a splash of oil, which will add to the velvety texture of your purée.
- Bring to the boil and cook until the potatoes are soft. Drain. Add the remaining oil and the nutmeg and mash by hand, or with a stick blender for a smoother consistency. Test for seasoning and keep warm.
- Peel the carrots and cut into roughly equal chunks. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the carrots, and cook until soft. Drain, then add a drop of olive oil to the carrots and mash by hand, or use a stick blender for a smoother purée. Return to the pan, season with the ground coriander (cilantro), salt and pepper, and keep warm. If necessary, you can reheat the potato and carrot purées briefly in the microwave for a few seconds before serving.
- Test the bean casserole for seasoning and serve, sprinkled with extra-virgin olive oil, the herbs and the feta crumb, with the potato and carrot purées alongside.
This recipe is from Under the Olive Tree: My Greek Kitchen by Irini Tzortzoglou (£25, Headline). Out now.
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