Butter Bean Dip With Frizzled Onions and Preserved Lemon
Though creamy, mashed beans provide the foundation, the frizzled onion mixture is the true star of this dish. Cooked quickly over high heat, with layers of garlic, cumin and preserved lemon, these onions are sweet and salty, rich and acidic, making this a surefire hit with minimal effort. Canned butter beans are then briefly cooked in the fragrant frizzled onion oil before being mashed (or blended, if you prefer a smoother texture) to create the perfect base. If you can’t get your hands on preserved lemons, fresh lemon pulp and finely sliced zest can be used; just be sure to add an extra pinch of salt, too. This makes for a great side or dip, or spread it on pita and use as a filling for the ultimate chicken or cauliflower shawarma.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 6 persons
Ingredients
- 2(15-ounce) cans butter beans, rinsed
- ½cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons extra to serve
- 2teaspoons cumin seeds
- 3fresh thyme sprigs
- 3small yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 12garlic cloves, peeled
- Fine sea salt and black pepper
- 1small (1 ½-inch) preserved lemon (25 grams), quartered, pulp and skin separated, pulp finely chopped, skin thinly sliced
- ⅓cup plain yogurt, loosened with 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
Step 1
Taste your butter beans: If the skins are tough, gently simmer the beans in water for 5 minutes to soften, then strain and set aside. (If the skins are soft, you can skip this step.)Step 2
Place the 1/2 cup oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Once it’s hot, add the cumin and thyme and cook for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally, until the thyme has crisped up. Carefully transfer the thyme onto a plate.Step 3
Add the onions, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt to the pan. Increase the heat to high and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often, until the onions have softened and are frizzled and partly charred. Add the lemon pulp and half the lemon skin, and cook for 1 minute more.Step 4
Use a slotted spoon to transfer most of the onion mixture into a bowl, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible, then carefully add the beans to the pan along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup water. Cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, using a potato masher to stir and break down the beans, until you have a slightly textured mash.Step 5
Remove the mashed bean mixture from the heat and stir through 2 tablespoons of the yogurt, then transfer the bean mixture to a serving plate. Use the back of a spoon to create a slight well in the center of the beans, then add the frizzled onions into the well. Dollop with the remaining yogurt and extra oil, then top with the remaining preserved lemon and a good grind of pepper. Pick the thyme leaves and sprinkle them on top to serve.