Harissa White Bean Stew with Preserved Lemon

Spicy and creamy butterbean stew with kale and preserved lemon, just what I need on a Monday.

I love how a few flavour bombs can elevate a dish to something extraordinary and I am going to think of ways to eat this! I am thinking in the morning with my eggs, afternoon on a slice of good sourdough and for supper with a rolled up freshly made flatbread and a dollop of good yogurt.

Oh yess!

I served mine with my super easy flatbreads and some roasted cabbage wedges on the side – divine! Salty feta would be a good addition.

• 1 bunch kale, white stems removed, shredded (keep the stems)
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1 large (or two small) red onions, peeled and sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (or 3) tablespoons good harissa paste
• 1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon fine good salt
• 3 x 400g tins butterbeans, drained
• 600g good veggie stock, warmed
• 1 halve preserved lemon, flesh discarded, skin cut into small slivers
• parsley to serve

Charred Baby Cabbage

•  3 small cabbages, quartered
• 6 tablespoon olive oil
• sea salt & pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 220c.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan on a medium heat, add the onions (you should hear a sizzle) and cook the onion, covered, stirring occasionally until the onions are starting to ‘sizzle’ on the sides. The onions should be soft and starting to caramelise at the sides, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, pepper, 1/2 teaspoon paprika and 1 teaspoon of salt and heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the harissa paste and I love how the oil turns a lovely orange tint, the flavours at this stage are amazing.
4. Add the drained butterbeans and swirl the beans in the lovely fragrant oil, mash a few beans (about a cup_ with a fork to create a creamy base.
5. Add the vegetable stock and the kale stems and taste for seasoning, gently simmer for 20 minutes (start cooking the cabbages). Remove the kale stems and add the preserved lemon and kale leaves, gently stir and simmer for 5 minutes. Take off the heat.
6. Meanwhile, for the cabbage, add the olive oil to a baking tray, pop the tray in the preheated oven for the oil to heat up. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the cabbage and simmer for 7 minutes, drain, and leave to steam in the colander for 5 minutes (this is important for the water to drain off). Carefully remove the tray from the oven and add the cabbages quarters to the hot oil (be careful as the oil might spit) season well and roast in the oven, turning the cabbages every 5 minutes, until the cabbages are caramelised. Remove and keep warm.
7. To serve, sprinkle over the chopped parsley and serve alongside some yogurt, flatbreads, feta and cabbage wedges if using. Enjoy!