Artichoke baked beans
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Ingredients
1 artichoke, 1 tsp dried/chopped avocado oil, 1 can cannellini beans, 1 bulb garlic.
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When artichokes are out of season, or if I don't have the time or inclination - these are one of the few ingredients that I am happy to cheat with and buy in a jar. Marinated artichokes keep for a long time in the fridge and add rich, slithery flavour to all manner of dishes. But making your own is of course always more satisfying and delicious. These beans are utterly lovely and great on toast or with proper baked potatoes.
1) Break the stem of the artichoke as close to the base as you can, then put the artichoke head first into a pan of hot, salted water and keep it submerged with an upturned pan lid (or plate). It will take 20-30 minutes to cook until tender - test the base with a knife - if it goes in smoothly it's ready!
2) Roast the entire bulb of garlic in the oven for 20 minutes, then carefully peel and squeeze the cloves through a garlic press and into the oil. Add the basil and oregano and set aside until the artichoke is ready.
3) Slice the petals from the artichoke heart and leave to marinate in the flavoured oil. (I tend to scoff the hearts immediately but these can of course also be marinated!)
4) All of the previous instructions can be done in advance, or omitted if using a jar of marinated artichokes. Parboil the beans for 5 minutes in hot salted water, then drain and add the artichokes and a little (about a tablespoon) of the oil marinade to the pan. Allow to simmer until the beans are soft (usually another 5 minutes) then serve hot or cold.
