EMW || Braised Cavalo Nero, pine mushrooms & white beans

The perfect Autumnal dish with white beans, freshly foraged mushrooms & Tuscan kale. For a breakfast version - crack in an egg and pop in a hot oven for a few minutes until set to your liking.

INGREDIENTS

EVOO 

200g flat pancetta, cut into 1cm cubes

1 bunch Cavalo Nero/tuscan kale - thick stalk & spine removed and roughly chopped (substitute purple or green kale or silverbeet)

300g pine mushrooms - or the best you can get your hands on - thinly sliced

4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2-3 cured anchovies (optional, but also not optional ;))

50g butter, cubed

1 tin white beans, drained & rinsed

Juice & rind of one lemon

Parmesan, finely grated

White wine - a good couple of splashes.

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth, mixed with 2 tbsp miso 

Sea salt, to taste (but use with caution as there are already lots of salty flavours in this dish!)

METHOD

First make crispy pancetta bits by cutting up pancetta into small cubes and placing in one flat layer in a cold pan. Add a little water and then turn onto high heat. Start to toss once the water is all evaporated and pancetta is starting to crisp up nicely. Once cooked through and crispy, take off heat and remove pancetta with slotted spoon onto a paper towel. Set aside.

Drain off most of the rendered fat from the pan and add a little EVOO. Turn up to medium high and add in garlic, shallots & anchovies if using.  Stir until fragrant and starting to brown, and whatever you do, don't allow it to burn.

Now add mushrooms and give a good stir. Add in some butter for some extra fat and then allow to cook and release the moisture. Allow to simmer gently and reduce down, until the mushrooms are soft but not falling apart.

Once all of the mushroom liquid is cooked off, deglaze the pan with some white wine. Next add the lemon juice and rind, then the beans and the cavalo nero - plus about ½ cup of chicken and miso broth. Keep the heat on low-medium.

Pop a lid on so the kale steams and wilts. Once the kale is wilted nicely, but hasn't lost all its colour - remove from heat and allow to cool momentarily.

Now taste it to make sure it all has good balance - and add a little more stock and miso mixture to loosen it up. Add more lemon juice and a dash of sherry vinegar if it needs more acidity.  Transfer to a serving platter, scatter over the pancetta bits and shower with finely shaved/grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy immediately with a side of crusty bread.

Buon appetito 🍋