posted by Lisa UK July 99
Butter Bean Stew (Lima Bean Stew)
2 cups dried lima/butter beans
1 large red onion
1/2 bunch celery with as many leaves on as possible, divided
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 carrots diced small (optional)
2 tins(14.5 oz. each) chopped tomatoes
1 tbs. tomato paste/puree
olive oil for frying
Optional: Cooked potatoes, diced
Put the dried beans in a pot and pour in water until it is over the beans by at least an inch.
Soak overnight - approximately 8 hours.
Next day pour off the water that the beans have soaked in - they will look horrible, don’t panic.
Pour on fresh water to cover and then bring to the boil; do not add salt, the beans will never soften if you do this.
Boil the beans rapidly for 10 minutes then discard the water.
Add more water and bring back to a simmer.
Simmer for roughly 40 minutes or until tender.
When they are more or less soft drain and set aside.
Chop the onion and the celery into fairly large pieces. Chop up some of the celery leaves and save the rest for later.
Crush the 2 cloves garlic.
Heat about 4 tbls. olive oil in a large pan and fry off the onion, celery, 2 tsp. celery leaves, garlic and carrot if using it.
Fry until translucent but not too soft.
Add in the tinned tomatoes and the tomato puree.
Stir and then add beans. Mix well and then cover and simmer for about 1/2 an hour.
This will allow the beans to absorb all the flavour of the tomatoes.
Stir occasionally to make sure it’s not sticking.
You can add in some par-boiled potatoes about now if you wish.
Add in the rest of the celery leaves, finely chopped and stir well.
Check that the potatoes and carrots are cooked and serve with lots of bread to mop up the juices.
If the stew looks too runny, mix up a slurry with cornflour and add it in.
This keeps in the fridge for a couple of days and actually tastes even better reheated the day after.