I woke up this morning wondering what I could make for a cold winter's night in. Something to have in a bowl, and eat with a spoon in front of some not-too-demanding telly.
I had some dried Great Northern Beans in the cupboard, some onions in the fridge, some left over white wine and a few sage leaves. Time for something Italian.
I bought some sweet italian sausages from a very good butcher down the road and some romaine hearts for a crispy side salad.
Soak the beans overnight (some beans can be soaked in hot water for a shorter period, which is what what I did - check the packet).
Go for a good cycle ride to work up the appetite.
Boil the beans until tender. Put to one side
Cook the onions until they are very soft (I like to add a small splash of wine at this point, but I'm not sure why). Add the crumbled sausage and some crushed garlic, cook for another ten minutes
Add the beans, chopped sage and a splash of white wine (a large splash this time).
Add salt and pepper and cook until the beans have started to go mushy (about 30 minutes at a low-medium heat). If the mix goes dry, add another splash of wine.
Serve the salad with a lemon and olive oil dressing.
This was my first attempt at this dish. With hindsight I should have boiled the beans for a bit longer to make them mushier.
I forgot to say that I had the above with a baked potato - it is winter after all.
Ahh, sage, got to be one of the most comforting herbs, and this stew just the thing to eat on a cold, cold night in a big, beige house. You also seemed to have the same inspiration as Anouk and I, just six hours later. For more sagey stuff, see above...
ReplyDeleteI made this again with some left-over dry vermouth instead of the white wine. It worked out well.
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