When filming A Cook’s Tour of Spain in 2008, I fell in love with the food of the country’s north. The beans were a highlight, whether cooked simply as a side, in tapas, with seafood or enriched with chorizo. Companies such as Brindisa, Bold Bean Co and Hodmedod’s are among those flying the flag for beans; theirs are so soft and succulent as to convert any sceptic. Try them in this comfort blanket of a stew: smoky clams and silky beans with the crunch of olive-oil toast, a savoury lick of sherry and a burst of citrus. Yes, please.
