BROTHY BEANS WITH ROASTED GARLIC & PARMESAN RIND

INGREDIENTS Serves 6-8

1 pound dry white beans, soaked for two to four hours — it will speed up their cooking time and help them cook more evenly). 2 heads garlic Extra virgin olive oil 1 medium-size white onion, peeled, halved and root-end just barely trimmed so the layers remain together 1 Parmesan rind 3 sprigs thyme 2½ teaspoons fine-grain sea salt 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar Freshly ground black pepper, for serving Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish Slices of crusty bread, for serving (optional)

METHOD

1. Place the beans in a large pot and add just under two litres of water.

2. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Slice each head of garlic in half horizontally and discard most of the papery outer covering (you want the heads intact). Put the heads back together, set each one on a small piece of foil, and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the foil up around each head to seal it into a packet. Bake until the garlic cloves are soft, about 40 minutes. Set aside to cool. Turn off the oven.

3. The beans will have expanded after soaking, so make sure they’re still covered by the water, but not by much. Add the onion halves, Parmesan rind and thyme to the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; keep at a boil for 10 minutes.

Then partially cover the pot and reduce the heat to keep the beans at a gentle simmer. If the water level drops below the beans, add hot water from a kettle to just barely cover them again.

5. Cook until tender – as little as 40 minutes or as much as three hours. It’s important to go by taste, because bean freshness, size, and soaking can affect cooking time.

6. Once the beans are tender, remove and discard the Parmesan rind and thyme stems. Remove the onion halves and garlic cloves from one of the roasted heads, and purée.

7. Add the garlic and onion purée to the pot of beans along with the salt and vinegar. Season to taste.

8. Ladle the beans into bowls and garnish with black pepper, grated Parmesan, and a scoop of pesto, if desired.

Serve with bread smeared with the remaining roasted garlic.