Sausages with borlotti beans recipe

By Tom Norrington-Davies

Serves 4
Takes 11/2 hours to make, plus soaking and cooking the beans
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Borlotti beans go brilliantly with sausages and oh-so savoury cabbage in this satisfying supper

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
4 onions, diced
50g dry-cured bacon, diced
6 fresh sage leaves
3 whole garlic cloves
1 medium savoy cabbage, outer leaves and core discarded, shredded
1 tbsp tomato purée
110g dried borlotti beans, soaked and cooked until very tender (see tip)
8 premium sausages of your choice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a very large, wide casserole over a medium heat. Add the onions and bacon and fry for a few minutes. Stir in the sage, garlic and some salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover and sweat for 20 minutes.
2. Stir in the cabbage and tomato purée, cover and cook for 5-6 minutes.
3. Add the beans and their liquor to the cabbage. Cook for 30 minutes or until some of the beans are breaking up. Season and remove from the heat.
4. Meanwhile, griddle or fry the sausages for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through and golden.
5. Fold the mustard and olive oil into the beans, divide between plates and lay the sausages on top.

Nutritional info

Per serving: 633kcals, 44.9g fat (13.9g saturated), 23.6g protein, 35.8g carbs, 12g sugar, 3.4g salt

Chef's tip

To cook the beans: Soak in plenty of water for at least a couple of hours, preferably overnight. Drain thoroughly and rinse, then transfer to a saucepan and add cold unsalted water to cover the beans by a few centimetres. Bring to the boil and cook rapidly for 15 minutes, removing any scum. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender. Keep the cooked beans in their stock, unseasoned, until you wish to use them.