Giant Crusty and Creamy White Beans with Curly Kale

Yield:serves 3 as a main, 6 as a side dish

This recipe for Giant Crusty and Creamy White Beans with Curly Kale works best with freshly cooked beans, which you can cook one day or two days in advance. Drain and store them in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

• 125 grams large dried beans, freshly cooked
• 3 tablespoons clarified butter
• sea salt
• 1,5 onions, coarsely chopped; Ulrike: deeply caramelised
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 300 grams curly cale, stems trimmed, large ribs removed, washed, dried and cut into fine strips
• black pepper, freshly ground
• olive oil, for drizzling
• Parmesan cheese, freshly grated for topping

Instructions

1. Drain the beans, then heat the butter over medium-high heat in the widest pan you’ve got. Add the beans in a single layer. Stir to coat the beans, then let them sit long enough to brown on one side, about 3 or 4 minutes, before turning to brown the other side, also about 3 or 4 minutes. The beans should be golden and a bit crunchy on the outside.
2. Salt to taste, then add the onion an garlic and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until the onions softens.
3. Add the kale and salt to the pan and cook for less than a minute, just long enough for the kale to lose a bit of its structure.
4. Remove from the heat and season to taste with a generous dose of salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan.

Ulrike: I omitted the onions and garlic and stirred in deeply caramelised onions instead when adding the kale.
total time: 30 minutes
preparation time: 15 minutes
cooking/baking time: 10 – 12 minutes