Category Archives: olive oil

butter beans with caramelised onion, roasted tomato & garlic

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I’ve been thinking about getting more beans and lentils in my life lately, then came across a couple of recipes online using butter beans and this was the result. I love butter beans and I really loved this! So much flavour from the roasted tomatoes and garlic, and the slow-cooked caramelised onions, with the pickled red onions adding some zip and a bit of crunch. Served at room temperature, it’s easy to make ahead and serve as a side dish or, as I did, have it as a main course for lunch. I used alubias granjas, a massive white bean from the north of Spain. Enjoy!

Ingredients & instructions below…

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beer batter prawns

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I’ve made these a few times now so it’s time to share them with you. Beer batter prawns! I have to say the first time I ever saw beer batter in action was when I was working at the (in)famous Rocinante tapas bar in Bristol (early 90s). Chef Chris would bring his bowl of flour-n-stuff from the kitchen over to the beer tap and then whisk it all up for his beautifully battered calamares. Trying this out on my own – putting together a few different recipes I found online – I have come to these main conclusions. Make sure your prawns (or fish, squid, etc) are nice and dry before commencing. Make sure your beer is COLD. And always “dust” your prawns before placing them in the batter.

I first used frozen peeled prawns because… easy. But they have to be thoroughly thawed and patted dry first. Another time I used big gambones with the tail left on, which you can see below. Also I shallow fry in a large frying pan using extra virgin olive oil.

Ingredients and instructions below…

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