Creamy Leek and Sausage Stew

I am an enormous fan of beans, and this is undoubtedly one of my favourite ways to eat them; with buttery leeks, crisp sausages and a pangrattato flavoured with the gorgeous sausage fat. I eat this meal throughout the year in many different forms, with many different seasonal vegetables getting involved, so feel free to switch it up depending on the time of year.

Serves 3

2 tbsp olive oil

1 leek

2 cloves of garlic

handful of thyme leaves

150ml white wine

1 jar of posh butterbeans

250ml chicken stock

200g spinach

6 sausages 

25g sourdough breadcrumbs

2 tbsp creme fraiche

20g parmesan

1 lemon

salt and pepper, to taste

1. Finely slice you leek, then give it a wash. Finely chop your garlic.

2. Add your olive oil to a cast iron pot, then get your leek in. Cook it over a medium heat for 10 mins until softened. add your garlic and thyme leaves and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add your wine, beans and stock and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, get a frying pan over a high heat. Add your sausages and fry until they are browned. They don’t need to be cooked through at this point.

5. Add your sausages to the bean pan along with your spinach, then simmer for 20 minutes.

6. Get your sausage pan with the fat still in it back on the heat. Tip in your breadcrumbs and toast for 5 minutes or so until deeply golden. Season with salt and remove from the pan.

7. Once your 20 mins is up, add your creme fraiche and parmesan to the beans, along with the juice and zest of half a lemon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

8. Spoon your stew into bowls, then sprinkle with your breadcrumbs and serve.