Courtesy of Barry Mulady
Serves 4-6 and keeps well in the fridge. Takes about an hour.
150ml rapeseed or light olive oil
4 onions, peeled and finely sliced
garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
Large handful of sage leaves, picked but keep the stalks
2 bay leaves
3 x 400g tins of butter beans
500ml white wine
Grated zest of 2 lemons
Method
Heat the oil in a deep wide pan and stir in the onions, garlic, sage leaves and their woody stalks and the bay leaves. Gently sweat for 20-25 minutes stirring occasionally. You want the onion and garlic to be golden in colour; if they stick add a splash of water.
Add the beans including the juice from the tins, crushing a handful to thicken the sauce.
Add the wine, a good pinch of salt and enough water to cover (if the wine doesn’t cover). Bring to a rapid boil then reduce to a simmer for 20-25 minutes.
Add the lemon zest and check for seasoning – it might need a splash of lemon juice and/or more salt.
Remove the sage stalks and bay leaves and crush a few more beans if it need to be thickened. Add a swirl of oil to finish.
Serve with toasted sourdough bread as a snack/starter or with sausages, lamb chops or anything, really. This recipe sounds bland but is actually delicious. Reheats well and is possibly better after a night in the fridge