Name: Garlicky white bean purée with fried pepperoni
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 4 - 6
Ingredients: 300 gm dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight in cold water, drained; 500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock; 3 garlic heads, individually wrapped in foil; Juice of 1½ lemons, or to taste; 100 ml extra-virgin olive oil; 150 gm pepperoni, thickly sliced; ¼ cup (loosely packed) oregano; 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, or to taste; To serve: thick slices of char-grilled sourdough

Garlicky white bean purée with fried pepperoni

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for garlicky white bean purée with fried pepperoni.

Serves 4 - 6

Prep

30M

Cook

55M

Total

1H 25M

Whether you eat this as a snack or light meal, chances are you’ll be coming back for more of this moreish creamy-spicy combo. Begin this recipe a day ahead to soak the white beans.

Ingredients

300 gm dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight in cold water, drained

500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock

3 garlic heads, individually wrapped in foil

Juice of 1½ lemons, or to taste

100 ml extra-virgin olive oil

150 gm pepperoni, thickly sliced

¼ cup (loosely packed) oregano

2 tbsp red wine vinegar, or to taste

To serve: thick slices of char-grilled sourdough

Method

Main

1.Preheat oven to 220C. Combine beans, chicken stock and 500ml cold water in a large saucepan, bring to the boil over medium-high heat and cook until beans are tender and liquid is almost evaporated (45-50 minutes), drain, reserving cooking liquid.

2.Roast garlic on an oven tray until very tender (40-45 minutes). When cool enough to handle, squeeze cloves from skins into a bowl (discard skins).

3.Reserve ½ cup of beans to serve and process the rest with garlic, lemon juice and 50ml extra-virgin olive oil in a food processor until smooth, season generously to taste. Thin slightly with a little reserved cooking liquid if too thick. Transfer to a saucepan.

4.Heat remaining olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, add pepperoni and stir occasionally, until it starts to crisp at the edges (2-3 minutes). Remove pan from heat, add oregano and vinegar (be careful, hot oil will spit), stir to combine and season to taste.

5.Warm white bean purée gently over low heat, stirring continuously. Spread onto char-grilled slices of sourdough, scatter reserved beans over, top with fried pepperoni and serve hot.