This white bean purée is a great alternative to creamy mashed potatoes and every bit as moreish. I have served it here with some rare fillet of beef, making it an excellent dinner party dish. Savoy cabbage provides some excellent colour and texture to the dish, but you could always use another variety, such as York or January King, depending on what's available.
Ingredients
- 5 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
- 675g (1½lb) piece beef fillet
- 50g (2oz) butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Good pinch of caraway seeds
- 2 x 400g (14oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 small Savoy cabbage, cored and shredded
- About 6 tbsp chicken stock
- 1 tblsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tblsp chopped fresh chives
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F/gas mark 7).
- Place 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a shallow non-metallic dish. Add the rosemary and most of the thyme, then season generously with black pepper. Add the beef fillet, turning to coat.
- Heat a heavy-based ovenproof frying pan until smoking hot. Add the beef fillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, turning regularly, until well sealed all over. Transfer to the oven and roast for another 20-25 minutes for medium rare; if you like your beef more well done, cook it for a little longer.
- Meanwhile, place another 2 tablespoons of olive oil and half of the butter in a heavy-based pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook over a gentle heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until well softened but not coloured. Add the caraway seeds and cook for 1 minute before stirring in the cannellini beans and cooking for a few more minutes, until heated through.
- To sauté the cabbage, heat a wok or large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the rest of the butter. Tip in the cabbage with the rest of the thyme and sauté for 1-2 minutes, until softened but not coloured.
- Pour in a couple of tablespoons of the stock, season generously and allow to cook for another few minutes, stirring until almost all of the liquid has evaporated.
- Stir the rest of the stock into the bean mixture and then mash to a rough mash using a potato masher or fork. Fold in the parsley and chives, then season to taste.
- Carve the beef into thin slices. Divide the bean mash among the warmed serving plates and arrange the craved beef fillet on top, drizzling over any juices from the pan. Add a mound of cabbage to each one to serve.
