INGREDIENTS 4 serves

• 320 g dried black beans (or 2 x 570 g jars or 3 x 400 g cans), see note below
• 1 3/4 tbsp salt (24 g)
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tbsp neutral oil (I used a mild olive oil)
• 1 large onion (200 g)
• 1/2 green bell pepper (80 g)
• 3 large garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1

Soak the beans with 1 tablespoon (14g) of the salt in around 1l of water overnight.

2

The next day, drain and rinse the beans and add them to a large pan with the bay leaves and 1.5l of water. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid left slightly ajar for 1 hour or until tender. Alternatively, cook with the bay leaves and just 1l of water for around 10 minutes in a pressure cooker. Drain the beans, but keep the cooking liquid.

3

When the beans have around 20 minutes left to cook, heat the oil in a casserole over medium heat. Peel and finely chop the onion and sauté in the oil until they begin to turn golden (5–6 minutes). Meanwhile, finely dice the bell pepper.

4

Add the bell pepper to the pan and sauté for 2-3 minutes more until softened, then peel and finely grate or crush in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more until the raw scent has disappeared.

5

Stir in the cumin, oregano, black pepper and remaining ¾ tbsp of salt (10g) and allow to heat through, then tip in the beans with enough of their cooking liquid (around 300ml) to almost cover them. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer covered for 10 minutes until the beans taste seasoned and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the heat and allow to sit for 15 minutes more, during which the liquid will thicken further.