Slow cooked squid with white beans, bacon and lemon

Slow cooked squid with white beans, bacon and lemon

Summer

Dried beans, smoked bacon and good tinned tomatoes form the backbone of this deeply comforting slow cooked dish. I like to add squid too. It might sound unusual, but squid has a natural affinity with bacon and beans and responds beautifully to long, gentle cooking. Rather than turning tough, it becomes wonderfully tender and develops a deep savoury flavour. Thyme, garlic and plenty of black pepper pull everything together, while lemon brings a little brightness at the end. It’s a generous one pot supper, the sort of thing best brought to the table with nothing more than some good bread and a bottle of red wine.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 250g dried haricot beans, soaked overnight in cold water
  • 250g piece home cured bacon or good streaky bacon, rind removed if needed
  • A little oil or lard
  • 4 small or 2 medium squid, cleaned
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 small bunch thyme
  • 4 bay leaves
  • Finely pared zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve

  • Fennel tops or flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Method

Drain and rinse the soaked beans, place them in a saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 1 hour until just tender. Drain and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 100.c fan, 120.c conventional.

Cut the bacon into 4–5cm cubes. Set a large heavy flameproof casserole over a medium high heat, add a little oil or lard and cook the bacon pieces until golden and lightly caramelised. Remove to a plate.

Slice the squid into 1–2cm rings and cut the tentacles into smaller pieces. Add the squid to the casserole and brown for 3–4 minutes, then remove and set aside with the bacon.

Lower the heat slightly and add the onion, garlic, thyme, bay and lemon zest to the casserole. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onions soften.

Return the bacon and squid to the pan and add the cooked beans, chopped tomatoes and about 300ml water. Cover with a lid and place in the oven.

Cook for about 3 hours, stirring every hour or so and adding a little water if the mixture looks too dry. By the end the squid should be very tender and the sauce rich and thick.

Taste and adjust the seasoning, skim off any excess fat if you like, then finish with chopped fennel tops or parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and the juice of the lemon before serving.

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