Braised Fennel, Courgette and Tomato Butter Beans

These are the beans from my Summer Series Cookery Demonstration 2022 and I just LOVE them.

They’re juicy, creamy, slightly acidic from the wine and lemon - really, just one of my absolute favourite things to make when the sun is shining. Just add a well-dressed green salad, plenty of crusty baguette and a cold white wine (or cider as I did for the series) then head out into the garden.

Any leftovers are fantastic the next day, heated up, or eaten at room temperature as a sort of ‘crostini' topping. Or if they rain comes, blend the beans into a beautifully-velvety soup topped with any leftover aioli - so delicious.

Serves 4

Takes 35 minutes

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Butter Beans

4 tablespoons cold-pressed rapeseed oil

2 large fennel, finely sliced, (reserve the green tops for garnish)

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

Pinch of chilli flakes

4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 courgettes, finely sliced

5 large, ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped

250ml white wine

4 stems fresh oregano, leaves stripped, stems discarded (reserve a few for garnish)

1 x 700g jar of giant butter beans

1 lemon

Rapeseed Aioli 

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon sea salt flakes

Juice and grated zest of 1/2 lemon

300 ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil, in a jug for easy pouring

Heat the oil in a large pan on medium heat, add the fennel and salt to the pan, gently fry for 10-15 minutes until golden but not too brown. Crush the fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar, then add to the pan along with the chilli flakes.

Add the garlic, stirring regularly to ensure it doesn’t burn. Then increase the heat in the pan and add the courgettes. Hard-fry on a high heat for 2-3 minutes to get some colour on the courgettes, then clamp a lid on your pan so that the courgettes sweat and cook in their own juices for 5 minutes.

Throw the tomatoes, wine and oregano into the pan, simmer for 5 minutes, then add the butter beans, including the jar juices. Cook for a further 5-10 minutes, or until reduced and the courgettes and tomatoes are really tender. Using the side of a wooden spoon, crush a few of the butter beans to thicken the stew.

Using a microplane, zest in the lemon, then have a taste. You might want to add a pinch more salt, or even some of the lemon’s juice, depending on how acidic your wine is.

Serve up with the reserved fennel fronds and oregano leaves plus rapeseed aioli or extra virgin olive oil and black pepper.

To make the aioli:

Combine the egg yolk, mustard, garlic, salt, lemon juice and zest in a large bowl using a balloon whisk.

Damp a few sheets of kitchen paper slightly, then place the bowl on the paper to stop it moving about. Drop by drop, pour in the oil while continuously whisking until very thick. This should take a couple of minutes. Don’t be tempted to rush pouring in the oil or your aioli might split. (If it does split, just start with a fresh egg yolk in a clean bowl, and slowly drizzle in the split mixture until thickened and emulsified).

Taste for seasoning, you might want to add more lemon juice and salt.

Keeps in the fridge for 5 days.

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Recipe from my Summer Series Cookery Demonstration 2022