Runner Beans, Chorizo and Almonds

Hi, this recipe is from BBC Good Food's Magazine, August 2021 and can also be accessed online here.

This was quite a nice meal, I particularly enjoyed the eggs, they were soft-centred but still hard boiled around the whites so I could peel them. They were like the eggs you see in magazine pictures and think 'How did they get them like that?'. Well, the answer was revealed in this recipe by Esther Clark; 6mins and 30seconds is the magic number, use boiled water, pour on top of the eggs, turn on the heat and begin your timer. They will be perfect afterwards. Also, I loved the toasted and spiced almonds, adding paprika was a nice touch and made them super moreish, I ate loads! 

This would make a nice starter if you make the runner bean quantities smaller, maybe only 2 beans per person, or a light lunch by adding some crusty bread or couscous. I added couscous and it was very nice. The runner beans that I used were a home grown by my uncles, and were really delicious in this dish, I enjoyed the dressing on them too. So, thank you to Uncle D & C for providing them xx. If, however, you aren't lucky enough to have access to home-grown beans (don't worry I don't grow my own either) then you will be able to buy them at supermarkets too. If they aren't there, use green beans instead or even, as a last resort, use a couple of peppers, sliced. 

Enjoy!

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Dietary Info:

-Contains Nuts 

{The almonds are just for a bit of extra toppings, so you could leave them out entirely, or substitute for another sprinkling of some kind, maybe croutons, olives, crispy onions, crispy pancetta etc..}

-Gluten Free 

{If serving with a carbohydrate, make sure it is also G-F if you are cooking for someone who doesn't eat gluten.}

-Unsuitable for Vegans 

{In place of the chorizo, use a block of smoked tofu and chop into chunks before frying, alternatively, if you have a preferred vegan 'sausage' alternative use that also. For the egg, if you are a really keen cook, try making your own vegan eggs, if not, use a replacement, this one is available for people in the US and similar products are available in the UK too. If using a liquid, don't worry about trying to make it look like an egg, just scramble it and I'm sure it will be fine.}

-Unsuitable for Vegetarians {See above.}

-Dairy-Free

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Serve with some carbohydrates for a balanced meal.

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The eggs should be hard boiled but still gooey in the middle to render the best results.

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Prep: 10mins

Cook: 15mins

Serves: 4 {As a light lunch, to turn into more of a meal, serve with some carbohydrates, I did couscous, but bread, potatoes, rice and pasta would all be fine too.}

Ingredients:

-320g runner beans, halved {You get about 3-4 whole beans per person.}

-50ml olive oil {I used ground nut oil, any neutral oil works well, if you wanted, you could give chilli oil a try as well to add a bit of extra spice.}

-1tbsp sherry vinegar {We didn't have any of this, so I used red wine vinegar.}

-3 anchovies, finely chopped {We brought a tin with two in it, so I just used two. The tin I used was anchovies in olive oil, but in brine is fine as well or however else you buy them.}

-1/4 large chorizo ring, sliced {I used 80g for 4 people.}

-4 large eggs {I used chicken eggs, however if you prefer another kind go for it and try those!}

-pinch of smoked paprika

-30g flaked almonds, toasted {To toast flaked almonds, dry fry in a frying pan over a high heat for about 5mins, or until golden and toasty. I then used the same frying pan for the chorizo.}

-1/4 bunch of parsley, finely chopped {I used a pinch of dried basil.}

Method:

1: Whisk the olive oil, vinegar and anchovies together until smooth. {I had to use a hand blender to get mine smooth.} Season with black pepper and set aside. 

2: Cook the beans in a pan of boiling salted water for 3-4 mins {mine took about 10mins to become tender} or until tender. Drain and coat in the anchovy and olive oil mixture.

3: At the same time, cook the eggs in a pan of simmering water for 6 mins 30 seconds. Drain, then rinse under cold running water to cool. Peel and halve.

4: When the eggs are cooked and you are about to peel them, heat a dry frying pan over a medium heat and fry the chorizo for 2-3 mins until golden brown. 

5: Spoon the beans onto plates and top with the chorizo and eggs. Sprinkle with the paprika, almonds and parsley, then serve.

While you're here, I have a Pinterest for all my recipes where you can save them to boards for the future and categorise them into different types of recipe e.g Sunday Dinners, picnic ideas etc. My account is @hazellikestocook, or find the link below. Also, I have a whole blog post explaining this in more detail here and https://hazelscookingandbakingblog.blogspot.com/2021/02/pinterest.html. 

https://pin.it/5xDvARk - my profile

This recipe : https://pin.it/1CQcR2b