Bean and Grated Bottarga Salad

Beans are very understated in many countries;  in Italy, especially in Tuscany, very often they are elevated to the hero of a dish. Very good for you too, especially when you can buy them fresh, otherwise buy them dry, soak overnight in cold water and simmer gently until tender but holding to their shape.  At the Rialto Market I buy dry beans in small plastic bags from my favourite seller.

One of them is the Corona variety, light cream in colour and large in size.

I simmer the beans gently and adjust the seasoning towards the very end of the cooking process, exactly the same way as I cook any kind of beans.

Something I learned when we lived in Florence was to pair still slightly warm beans with grated bottarga, and lots of it.

Invariably drizzled with a good quality of olive oil, a few drops of the best possible lemon I can find and its zest is my addition – in small quantities.

A grown up bean salad, served with a crunchy bread to mop up the juices and a glass of red wine, makes for a perfect dinner for us.