Bean and sausage casserole
You will need:
• 400g dried haricot beans, or 3 x 400g tins of cooked haricot beans
• Olive oil
• 8 large sausages, about 600g in
total, cut into 4cm chunks
• 3 large red onions, sliced into
wedges through the root
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon of chopped thyme
• 1 tablespoon of chopped rosemary, see In Season, below
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 3-4 teaspoons caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
For the breadcrumb topping, you will need:
• 150g breadcrumbs — see my Top Tip, left
• 4 tablespoons of herbs (such as parsley, chives, rosemary, thyme)
• 40g grated cheese (use whatever leftover cheese you have in the fridge, or Cheddar)
1 If you are using dried haricot beans, put them in a bowl and cover them well with cold water. Allow them to soak for at least six hours, or overnight. Drain the beans, then put them in a saucepan and cover them with fresh water. Place the pan on a medium-to-high heat, then bring to the boil and allow it to simmer until the beans are really nice and soft. Don’t drain the water, as this has great flavour and will be used.
2 While the beans are cooking, put a large saucepan or casserole pot on a high heat and add a small drizzle of olive oil.
Tip in the sausage chunks and cook them for a few minutes until they are a light golden colour all over. Tip the sausage chunks out on a plate and set them aside, leaving any oil in the pot.
3 Next, add in the onion wedges and the finely chopped garlic, season with some salt and freshly ground black pepper, and turn down the heat to allow the onions to cook slowly, until they are tender and a little golden, which should take about 8-10 minutes. Next add in the sausage chunks you set aside earlier, the chopped thyme, the chopped rosemary, the tinned chopped tomatoes, the caster sugar, the red wine vinegar or the balsamic vinegar, whichever you are using, the cooked haricot beans and all the cooking water. If you’re using tinned haricot beans, add a can of water along with the tinned beans and all the liquid.
4 Turn the heat to high, bring the casserole up to the boil, then turn the heat down so the whole mixture can simmer, uncovered, for about 30-40 minutes. Keep stirring it regularly. When it is ready, the tomatoes will have softened completely, the beans will have absorbed lots of flavour from the rest of the dish, and the liquid will have reduced a bit so that the beans and sausages are just peeping out of the surface of the liquid. If the mixture is too dry, just add a little water. If it’s too saucy, simmer it, uncovered, for a bit longer.
5 While the casserole is simmering, make the breadcrumb topping. In a bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, the chopped herbs and the grated cheese. Taste the tomato and bean casserole mixture, adding more seasoning or vinegar, if necessary. The casserole mixture can be made in advance up to this point. It will also freeze well.
6 When you’re ready to serve, scatter the breadcrumb mixture over the hot stew and place it either under a hot grill or in a very hot oven (230°C, 450°F, Gas 8) for about 5-15 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden and toasted on top. Serve the casserole on warmed plates or in shallow bowls.