This is my take on farinata – a traditional Tuscan peasant dish of kale and beans thickened with polenta. It’s somewhere between a vegetable stew and a soup, the grain thickening the liquor without detracting from the flavours of the veg and beans. As with all very simple dishes, the quality of the ingredients is paramount. Use a good stock – homemade if possible – and finish with some really top-notch olive oil.
Serves 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
About 200g kale, cavolo nero or spring greens 850ml vegetable or chicken stock
400g tin white beans, such as cannellini, drained (or 200g home-cooked beans)
100g quick-cook fine polenta
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil to serve
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion and sweat for 10 minutes, until really soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook gently for another 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, strip the kale, cavolo or spring green leaves away from their tough stalks. Roll the leaves up and slice across them to produce thick ribbons.
Add the stock and beans to the soft onion and garlic and bring to a simmer. Add the shredded leaves, return to a simmer and cook for 3–5 minutes, or until they are just tender. Now pour in the polenta, stirring it in well so it doesn’t form lumps. Return to a simmer and cook for 3–4 minutes until thickened. When you taste the dish, it should be velvety and smooth, not at all gritty. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle into warm bowls, trickle generously with good extra virgin olive oil, grind over some pepper and serve straight away.
As the dish cools, the polenta will begin to set and once cold, it will be less soupy and more solid. To serve leftovers, you can loosen it back down with some more stock and/or water and reheat it, stirring often, until piping hot again.
SWAPS Spinach or even nettle tops (see here for preparation) can be used instead of kale. And chickpeas can happily stand in for the beans.