In one of my first cookbooks, a small paperback about Indian cuisine, there was a recipe called “Silky bean dumplings in almond sauce” and just the description of the beans made me swoon. In fact, it’s the exact word “silky” that first comes to mind when I think of Beans think. Giant beans in tomato sauce are one of my very favorite dishes in Greek cuisine. They are delicate, have a gentle bite and are simply irresistible. So much so that I sometimes buy them already prepared in a can. This is of course nonsense, because such a small can is not only much more expensive than if you make the beans yourself, it is also much more satisfying if you do Chorizo, Smoked paprika and spinach are involved.
You should always have chorizo sausages in the freezer. You can quickly spice up a dish with them, whether it’s a soup, a stew or a stir-fry.
In the past you had to go to Spain or to a specialist mail order company to get smoked paprika, but today almost all spice suppliers have it in their range. However, you can only do so in Spain with the “Pimentón de la vera“Choose whether you want them hot or mild. They’re both smoky. And usually in delightfully pretty cans.
For once I’ve even managed to keep my basil alive for longer than 3 weeks, it’s actually doing great and is getting bigger and bigger. Of course, that may also be because I bought it from a nursery at the farmers market and not from the supermarket. I usually dispose of the latter after a week. I don’t have it on my balcony either because it magically attracts snails. The critters even crawl up to the first floor. The plan was actually to cook this dish for 2 days. I didn’t succeed – I just couldn’t stop after the first plate. I’ll explain this now by saying that I didn’t have any bread with it…
Broad beans with spinach, smoked peppers, tomatoes and chorizo
For two
2 tbsp olive oil
2 small shallots, finely chopped
2 + 2 cloves fresh garlic
100 g fresh chorizo, the outer skin peeled off and the inside cut into cubes
1 ½ tsp dried oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
Sea salt
50 ml white wine (or dry vermouth)
40 ml water
300 ml pureed tomatoes (use high quality if possible)
1 can (400 g) giant beans (or butter beans), drained
a pinch of sugar
150 g fresh spinach
1 tsp butter
a handful of basil leaves, coarsely chopped
freshly grated Parmesan
black pepper from the mill
This goes well with baguette or garlic bread
In a large pot, melt the butter with 2 cloves of garlic. Wash the spinach and add it to the pot while it is damp. Sprinkle with a little salt and let it collapse a little with the lid closed for about 1-2 minutes. Then pour it into a sieve.
Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan to medium temperature and fry the shallots with the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and the chorizo. Add oregano and both paprika powders. Stir and fry for another 2 minutes.
Deglaze with white wine and water.
Add the tomatoes and a pinch of sugar and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Season with salt.
Add beans and spinach. Let it simmer for another 3 – 5 minutes.
Stir in the basil leaves and sprinkle with pepper and Parmesan.
