Meredith Dairy — Recipes / Braised Beans with Pumpkin, Sage, Walnut Gremolata & Meredith Goat’s Chèvre

Photo of Braised Beans with Pumpkin, Sage, Walnut Gremolata & Meredith Goat’s Chèvre

Ingredients

1 medium Jap pumpkin, cut into wedges
1 small butternut pumpkin, cut into quarters
Extra virgin olive oil
8 sage leaves
6 cloves garlic
1/2 brown onion, finely diced
2 eschalot, finely diced
25g unsalted butter
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 x 400g tins canellini beans, drained and rinsed
450ml chicken stock
100g walnuts
20g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Zest and juice of a lemon
Meredith Dairy Original Chevre

Preparation

Step 1 Preheat the oven to 220°C.
Step 2 Spread the pumpkin on a lined baking tray with the sage leaves and 4 cloves of garlic. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 30–40 minutes, or until soft and caramelised.
Step 3 Once cooked, set the butternut pumpkin aside. Peel the jap pumpkin and squeeze the roasted garlic from its skins. Place both into a food processor with a splash of chicken stock and blend until completely smooth. Set aside.
Step 4 Peel and finely slice the remaining garlic.
Step 5 Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, eschalot, and a generous pinch of salt. Cook gently for 8–10 minutes, until soft, sweet, and jammy. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Step 6 Stir in the butter and allow it to lightly caramelise for about a minute, then deglaze the pan with sherry vinegar. Add the drained beans and the remaining chicken stock, then bring to a gentle simmer.
Step 7 Fold in the pumpkin purée and mix through the beans until creamy and well combined, adding a little extra stock if needed to loosen. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Step 8 To make the walnut gremolata, toast the walnuts in a dry pan until golden. Roughly crush them, then combine with parsley, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil.
Step 9 To serve, spoon the creamy beans into bowls. Top with the reserved roasted pumpkin, walnut gremolata, and generous crumbles of Meredith Dairy chèvre. Finish with a squeeze of lemon, a sprinkle of chilli flakes, an extra drizzle of olive oil, and freshly cracked black pepper.