Ingredients
For the Beans
- 375g dried heerenbone*
- 100g salted farm butter
- 50ml olive oil
- Juice of ½ lemon
- large pinch sea salt
For the Mussels
- 30 mussels (mytilus galloprovincialis), beards removed
- 30ml olive oil
- 100ml Chenin Blanc
To Serve
- a handful of fresh dune spinach leaves**
- splash of olive oil
- squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Serves 6
Recipe: Kobus van der Merwe
Methods
For the Beans
Boil the heerenbone in unsalted water for approximately 40 minutes until completely tender, then drain. Puree the cooked beans with the butter, olive oil, lemon juice and salt in a food processor until completely smooth.
For the Mussels
In a large pot, heat the remaining olive oil to smoking point. Add the mussels all at once and cover with a lid. Cook for a minute, then lift the lid and stir to evenly distribute heat. Add the white wine, cover and cook a further two minutes until all the shells have opened. Strain, retaining the mussel stock. Remove the cooked mussels from their shells – make doubly sure all beards are removed.
To Serve
Heat the mussels in a little bit of their own stock. Add the remaining stock to the heerenbone puree and heat through. Flash fry the dune spinach leaves in a bit of olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Scoop the puree into heated bowls, top with mussels and dune spinach leaves and serve.
Notes
* Heerenbone (English translation: “The Lord’s bean”): This South African heirloom bean is still cultivated in the Sandveld area of the west coast of South Africa. Substitute with butter beans or lima beans.
** Dune spinach is a native plant indigenous to the dunes of South Africa. Substitute with baby spinach or New Zealand spinach.
