White bean mash – I know – sounds disgusting. How does white bean paste sound? I think the problem is not so much the ‘mash’ but rather the ‘bean’. A lot of people think that they do not like beans. It’s that whole childhood memory of having to gag down a bowl of sickeningly sweet canned ‘beans in molasses’ for dinner on Saturday night with a couple of fried, shriveled hotdogs on the side…
I thought about changing mash to smash but that would indicate more effort than is required. I could have used puree, caviar, tapenade or mousse just so that I would be able to keep you interested enough to give this recipe a try, but the truth is that the beans are simply mashed.
I am asking you to trust me. This is one of the most versatile dishes in my repertoire. I use it as a garnish, veggie side, base for a fish stack, filling for small pastas and as a warm dip. Ignore the main ingredient and focus on the other flavours. The garlic, anchovies, chillies and sage catapult this dish into a salty, spicy bite of perfection!
WHITE BEAN MASH
19 ounce can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
7 anchovy fillets
dried red chilli flakes, to taste
1 tablespoon dried sage leaves, crushed
1 cup water
Place oil in skillet over medium heat.
Add garlic and allow it to sizzle.
Add anchovies and chillies and saute for 2 minutes.
Add white beans, sage and water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat.
Simmer mixture, stirring occasionally until beans have absorbed water and are very soft.
Using a fork, mash beans until they resemble lumpy mashed potatoes.
If this is your first bite of white bean mash, spread some on a bit of grilled baguette. I bet that you will have trouble not licking the pot clean!
Thanks for reading.
