Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Flageolet Beans with Preserved Lemon Mayo

Many of this year's most appealing cookbooks are vegetarian which should be welcome to all of us who are looking for new ways of cooking and serving veg. This delicious recipe comes from Vegetarian Sheet Pan Cooking by food writer and private chef Liz Franklin.

Liz writes: This easy-peasy combo of crispy, lightly charred broccoli, soft garlicky beans, crunchy lemony crumbs and zippy, unctuous preserved lemon mayo makes a fabulous light lunch.

SERVES 4

for the mayo

1 egg

1 garlic clove, grated

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

juice of 1/2 lemon

250 ml/1 cup plus 1 tbsp sunflower oil

1/4–1/2 preserved lemon

350 g/12 oz. purple sprouting broccoli

1 x 400-g/14-oz. can flageolet beans

3 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

a large handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped

3 tbsp panko crumbs

zest of 1 lemon

To make the preserved lemon mayonnaise, put the egg, grated garlic, Dijon mustard and lemon juice into a jug/pitcher. Whiz everything together using a stick blender. Slowly add the oil, keeping the blender going and pouring in a steady stream, until all the oil is incorporated and the mixture is thick and light.

Rinse the salt from the preserved lemon, remove the inner flesh and discard. Finely chop the softened skin and add it to the mayonnaise. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F) Gas 4. Trim the broccoli. Leave the stalks quite long, but peel away any tough bits using a vegetable peeler. Lay the broccoli over a sheet pan and cook for 10–15 minutes, until the broccoli is al dente, but starting to crisp on the florets. Drain and rinse the beans. Pop them into a bowl and add the oil, chopped garlic and parsley. Remove the broccoli from the oven and spoon the beans over. Mix the panko crumbs and lemon zest together and scatter this over

the top. Return the sheet pan to the oven and cook for a further 5 minutes, until the beans are warmed through. Take care not to leave the pan in for too long, or the beans will dry and crack – they just need to be warm rather than super-hot. Serve with the preserved lemon mayo.

What to drink: It would depend a bit on what else you serve with it but I'd be inclined to serve a crisp dry Italian white like a verdicchio or vermentino with this dish.

Extracted from Vegetarian Sheet Pan Cooking by Liz Franklin published by Ryland Peters & Small at £14.99. Photograph © Steve Painter.

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