Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit

This posh version of beans on toast hits the spot for a light lunch or as a showstopper starter for a dinner party. The chargrilled bread has a smoky flavour that goes smashingly with the creamy, salty mushy beans and pecorino. While the electric green colours are bold, the ingredients together make for a subtle and delicate combination. This dish is an absolute joy to prepare and eat! Maybe it’s just me, but there is something so satisfying about popping the broad beans out of their skins and watching them rocket into all different directions.

*Serves 4 Ingredients:

• 4 thick slices sourdough bread

• 2 bunches asparagus, bottoms trimmed off, cut into halves

• 1/4 cup extra virgin oil, plus for drizzling

• 1 kg broad beans

• 120 g pecorino cheese, grated

• pinch of salt

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped

• freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Add the garlic to the olive oil to make an infusion. Brush one side of the bread slices with the oilive oil garlic mix, set aside.

Then cook the broad beans in a pot of boiling salted water for 5 minutes, drain. When slightly cooled down, pop the broad beans our of their skins. Smash the beans with majority of the pecorino (save some to top the bruschetta off), a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil.

Brush the asparagus with any extra garlic olive oil.

Grill both the bread and asparagus on a griddle pan on the stove, the barbeque or under a hot grill.

Slab a generous amount of the broad bean mixture on the toast, arrange the asparagus spears on top, sprinkle with pecorino, a grinding of black pepper and finish with a drizzle of oil.

As the Italians say... Buon appetito!

Recipe adapted from Mike McEnearney's Kitchen by Mike cookbook.

#lunch #cheese #vegetarian #beans #asparagus #starter #recipe