Crostini with white bean purée

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
410g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
75ml fresh chicken stock, hot
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Good squeeze of lemon juice
1 fat baguette, cut into 32 slices about 1cm thick

For the black olive relish

50g can anchovies in olive oil, drained and chopped
Small handful fresh flatleaf parsley, leaves finely chopped
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
50g good-quality pitted black olives, such as Kalamata, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
410g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
75ml fresh chicken stock, hot
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Good squeeze of lemon juice
1 fat baguette, cut into 32 slices about 1cm thick

For the black olive relish

50g can anchovies in olive oil, drained and chopped
Small handful fresh flatleaf parsley, leaves finely chopped
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
50g good-quality pitted black olives, such as Kalamata, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, cannellini beans, chicken stock and some seasoning and simmer for 4-5 minutes, until the beans are tender. Set aside to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, to make the black olive relish, simply stir all the ingredients together in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
Process the beans and their liquid in a blender or food processor with the extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Season to taste. You can serve this warm or at room temperature – it will thicken as it cools.
To make the crostini, put a griddle pan over a high heat until very hot. Toast the bread slices until very lightly charred on both sides.
To serve, spread some white bean purée on top of each warm crostini and spoon on a little olive relish.

Method

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, cannellini beans, chicken stock and some seasoning and simmer for 4-5 minutes, until the beans are tender. Set aside to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, to make the black olive relish, simply stir all the ingredients together in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
Process the beans and their liquid in a blender or food processor with the extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Season to taste. You can serve this warm or at room temperature – it will thicken as it cools.
To make the crostini, put a griddle pan over a high heat until very hot. Toast the bread slices until very lightly charred on both sides.
To serve, spread some white bean purée on top of each warm crostini and spoon on a little olive relish.

delicious. tips

The day before your dinner party you can make the crostini, cool and store in an airtight container in a cool place, and make the bean purée, cover and chill.
Serve ice-cold fino or manzanilla pale sherry. The tangy, dry lemon edge of this sherry makes a sensational match with this.

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