I recently went to a dinner party where this dish was served, topped with butter-fried sea bream and a wonderful tahini sauce. It occurred to both me and the cook, my friend Danielle, that you could easily serve the beans and gremolata with just some good bread on the side for an easy weeknight dinner.
White bean, leek and fennel casserole with date, lemon and pistachio gremolata
Prep 15 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
1 scant tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp chilli flakes, or ½ tsp, if you prefer less heat, or leave it out altogether
2 trimmed leeks, cut into thin half-moons
2 small bulbs fennel, cut into 1cm dice
Flaky sea salt
600ml vegetable stock
2 x 400g tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp tahini
Juice of ½ lemon
Warm flatbreads, to serve
For the gremolata
6 medjool dates, finely chopped
50g shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
30g coriander, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
Heat the oil in a wide-based casserole dish or deep frying pan. Add the garlic, fennel seeds and chilli flakes, if using, and fry, stirring, on a medium heat for 30 seconds, then add the leeks, fennel and a teaspoon of flaky sea salt. Partially cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes, giving everything a stir every few minutes, until the leeks and fennel have softened.
Turn up the heat under the pan and take off the lid, so the leeks take on a little colour. Scrape the base of the pan – add a little of the vegetable stock to help dislodge any stuck-on bits, if need be – then add the beans and remaining stock. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to a simmer and leave to cook for 20 minutes, topping up with extra stock if required.
Meanwhile, make the gremolata by mixing all the ingredients with a teaspoon of salt in a bowl.
Once the beans have had their 20 minutes, stir in the tahini and lemon juice, and add more stock if necessary to loosen to a sauce the consistency of single cream; you’re not after a soup here. Taste and adjust the salt as required, then spoon into warmed bowls, top with the date gremolata and serve with flatbreads on the side.
