
Butter Bean Recipes, Stews + Bean Bowls -
Creamy Anchovy, Leek + Bean Gratin
Creamy Anchovy, Leek + Bean Gratin
Rated 4.5 stars by 2 users
HUGE thanks to the legend that is Sophie Godwin, aka @sophonaplate, who let us share this #beanspo FROM HER NEW DEBUT COOKBOOK 'Sundays' - a collection of fresh, modern recipes to celebrate that Sunday feeling through brunches, feasts, long lunches and quiet evenings.
This banger of a recipe is from the 'Feasting' chapter of the cookbook, containing a "bring it together section" giving you all the tips + tricks you need to cook for your mates without getting stressed. Here, we're serving this EPIC anchovy + butter bean gratin with a zingy shaved fennel salad + a broccoli salad with a charred lemon dressing. We just KNOW you champs are gonna love this one.
You can get your hands on Soph's book in most Sainsbury's store or order it HERE !

Ingredients
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3 leeks
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100g jar anchovies in oil
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8 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped
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handful of thyme sprigs or fresh oregano
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2 x 700g jar of Bold Bean Co Queen Butter Beans (or 2 x 400g tins of butter beans, drained, with 100ml veg stock)
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2-3 tsp fennel seeds
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250ml white wine
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300ml double (heavy) cream
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100g parmesan or pecorino cheese
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30g panko or gluten-free breadcrumbs
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zest of 2 lemons
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sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
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50g sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds
- big pinch of chilli flakes
- 2 large fennel bulbs
- large handful of parsley
- 4 tablespoons capers
- 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 lemons
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2-3 teaspoons honey or maple syrup (use maple syrup to make it vegan)
- 7 tablespoons olive oil
- 600g purple sprouting or long-stem broccoli
- handful of thyme sprigs or fresh oregano (use the same herbs you used for the gratin)
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
Shaved Fennel Salad
Broccoli with Charred Lemon Dressing
Directions
For the Gratin
Halve the leeks lengthways, then finely slice into half-moons. Scrape into your largest saucepan. Add the oil from the anchovy jar and a pinch of salt, then cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until collapsed and softened.
Meanwhile, finely chop the garlic cloves (or finely grate them, if you find it easier). Strip the thyme from their sprigs, or chop the oregano if using. Drain the butterbeans through a sieve.
Return to the leeks. Add the anchovies to the pan, along with the garlic, fennel seeds and herbs. Cook, smooshing the anchovies with the back of your spoon, until then have ‘melted’ into the leeks, then pour in the white wine.
Once the wine has bubbled away for a couple of minutes, tip in the butterbeans and pour in the cream. Give everything a good mix to combine. Let the beans bubble, still over a medium heat, for around 10 minutes until you have a slightly thickened, creamy stew. You want the sauce to cling to the beans; bear in mind that it won’t thicken under the grill, so get it to your preferred consistency at this stage.
While the beans are bubbling, finely grate the cheese. Mix half with the breadcrumbs and a good crack of black pepper.
Stir the lemon zest into the beans, along with the remaining cheese. Once melted, season to taste.
Preheat your grill to medium.
Decant the warm stew into an ovenproof baking dish. Top with the cheesy breadcrumbs, then slide under the grill for 5 minutes or until the top is golden.
Leave to sit for a few minutes before serving with the broccoli and fennel salad, opposite.
For the Shaved Fennel Salad
- Toast the seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until nicely golden, then tip into a small bowl, add the chilli flakes and season.
- Pick the fennel fronds off the fennel and set them aside for later. Next, using a sharp knife, or a mandoline if you find that easier, very finely slice the fennel bulbs.
- Put the sliced fennel into a large serving bowl. Roughly chop the parsley (stalks and all) and add to the bowl, along with the capers and chilli seeds. Zest and juice in the lemon.
- Season to taste and scatter over the fennel fronds, to serve.
For the Broccoli with Charred Lemon Dressing
For the charred lemon dressing, heat a frying pan over a high heat. Cut the lemons in half and place them, cut-side down, into the pan. Fry for 3-4 minutes until the undersides are blackened, then take off the heat and leave to cool slightly.
Once cool enough to handle, squeeze the juice from the lemons into a bowl (they should be super jammy). Add the smoked paprika, honey or maple syrup and 5 tablespoons of the olive oil. Stir and season the dressing to taste.
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cut the broccoli pieces in half lengthways.
- Once the water is boiling, drop in the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes (depending on the size of your pan, you may need to do this in batches), then drain and leave to cool. If you have a wire rack, spread out the cooked broccoli on the rack to cool - this will help it steam dry and stay super green.
- When you’re ready to eat, heat a large frying pan over a super-high heat - you want it raging. Working in batches, drizzle the broccoli with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, season well, then lay cut-side down in the pan. fry for 2-3 minutes until the underside is nicely charred, then transfer to a serving platter. repeat with all the broccoli.
- Pour the dressing over the hot broccoli, then strip the herbs off their sprigs and scatter over the top, to serve. Banging.
Recipe Note
This can be prepared a few hours in advance up to the end of step 6. Just leave the beans in the saucepan, covered with a lid. When ready to serve, gently reheat and follow the instructions for grilling.
natalie wansbrough-jones
This is so super delicious and easy to make! Loved it
Graham Hughes
Add Anchovies to ingredients list!! Will cook this week and report back. Sounds delicious!