Slow-Simmered White Beans with Sardines

📝 Ingredients

• 3 tins white beans (795 g drained)
• 3 tins of sardines in oil (300 g drained)
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes (400 g)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 brown onion
• 3 garlic cloves (2 for the sauce, 1 for the breadcrumbs)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ½ vegetable stock cube + 200 ml hot water
• 3 tbsp olive oil (2 for the sauce, 1 for the breadcrumbs)
• 40 g breadcrumbs
• 1 lemon (zest for the breadcrumbs, juice for serving)
• 200 g rustic bread (to serve)
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Colander
• Sauté pan with lid
• Frying pan
• Wooden spoon
• Fine grater
• Toaster

📖 Steps

1. Drain and rinse the white beans in a colander. Drain the sardines on a plate, keeping the fillets whole. Peel and finely slice the onion, then peel and chop the 2 garlic cloves for the sauce.
2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 5 minutes with a pinch of salt, stirring, until soft and translucent. Add the chopped garlic and the thyme, then cook for 1 minute without letting the garlic brown, as it would turn bitter.
3. Add the tomato purée and stir for 1 minute to caramelise it slightly. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and the stock (the half cube dissolved in 200 ml hot water), then bring to a gentle boil.
4. Add the beans, reduce to a low heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce thickens. Crush a ladleful of beans against the side of the pan to bind the sauce. Season with pepper and taste before adding salt: the sardines and stock are already salty.
5. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium heat, then add the breadcrumbs and the last garlic clove, grated. Stir constantly for 3 to 4 minutes until golden, then, off the heat, add the lemon zest and tip into a bowl to stop the cooking.
6. Lay the sardines on the beans, pressing them lightly into the sauce, then cover and leave for 3 to 4 minutes over a very low heat, just long enough to warm them through without them falling apart. Meanwhile, toast the bread slices.
7. Serve piping hot in shallow bowls, drizzle with a little lemon juice and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs at the last moment so they stay crisp. Serve with the toast for mopping up the sauce.