JUST A CAN O' BEANS AWAY.

A simple, elegant dish of lemony prawns with white beans and zucchini. That's it, you're done, nothing to see, pour a glass of wine maybe.

Three things are happening here. One, you’re making a simple white bean stew with garlic, chilli and zucchini. Two, you’re pan-frying prawns and lemon together in a pan. Three, you’re tossing the prawns and lemon into a ‘finishing’ bowl of chopped parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and pepper, and dumping that on top of the warm white bean and zucchini stew.

I have been cooking variations of this dish for about forever; with or without peppery rocket leaves, celery, rosemary, paprika. With chicken instead of prawn, lamb instead of chicken. I like it best, however, with prawns, which though rich, keep things light. Simple, but elegant – a life goal of mine.

The zucchini brings a certain butteriness without any butter. You can serve it with a dribble of extra virgin olive oil, or make a pesto of rocket as well, which is damn cute.

It’s particularly nice made with dried beans, soaked overnight. If you want to do that, soak 400 grams of cannellini (white) beans in a large bowl of water overnight. Drain, rinse, and place in a pot with enough cold water to cover by 2 or 3 cm. You can throw in anything lying around that will add to the flavour – a chopped onion, some celery, herbs, spices – and simmer until cooked.  I can’t really specify how long that will take, as older beans will be drier and take longer. Could be anything from 45 mins to double that, but you’ll know when they cooked when you remove a couple and blow on them. If their skins peel back, they’re cooked.

Obviously if you have just decided to do this tonight, then grab a can or two of white beans and you’re done.

LEMONY PRAWNS WITH WHITE BEANS AND ZUCCHINI

Serves 4

• 3 tbsp olive oil for frying

• 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced

• 1 or 2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and finely sliced

• pinch of roasted chilli flakes

• 2 x 400 g canned white beans, drained and rinsed

• 100 ml vegetable or chicken stock

• 12- 16 tiger prawns, peeled, with tail left on

• Sea salt and black pepper

• 3 slices of lemon, cut in half  (zest it before slicing)

Finishing bowl:

• 1 tbsp lemon zest

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley

• Sea salt and black pepper

Get your finishing bowl ready before you start: combine lemon zest, lemon juice, chopped parsley, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and pepper in a large bowl, and toss well to coat. Set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a fry pan, add the garlic and gently cook for 1 minute until softened but not browned.

Add the zucchini and chilli, and toss well to coat for 1 minute.

Add the drained and rinsed white beans and vegetable stock, sea salt and pepper, and simmer, giving it the occasional stir, for 5 minutes.

Mash a few of the beans and stir them through the broth, if it needs thickening. I like adding another swirl of good olive oil at this point as well.

Heat remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a fry pan and flash-fry the prawns on one side until golden.

Turn and cook the other side until just cooked through, adding the lemon slices for the last 15 seconds or so to warm through.

Toss the prawns and lemon slices into the finishing bowl, tossing well, then dump on top of the beans and serve. Serves 4.

No, you don’t eat the warm lemon slices, but I love the way they drop their juices into the beans – and you need them to make it LOOK lemony as well as taste lemony.

Here’s another version, with some rocket pesto tossed through the beans; nice.

Thanks for dropping by! And as always, thanks for your comments and suggestions. Special thanks to Terry for suggesting this would go well with toasted sourdough brushed with garlicky oil. It so did.

I would also like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands and waters upon which I work, live, cook and play; the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, and pay my respects to Elders past and present, and to the continuing strength and resilience of First Nations people, communities and cultures.