White bean b’sarra

“The great thing about this soup is that it has a soft, velvety and creamy texture without actually adding any cream. B’sarra traditionally uses fava beans but here I’ve swapped them for lima beans which work a treat but you can use either. I’ve also pimped up the original dish with a topping of scallops, sweet carrots and roasted garlic oil. Refreshing the carrots in the lemon, sugar and water enhances their natural sweetness while stopping the cooking process and retaining some texture at the same time. I’ve also deep-fried the carrot tops because they have such an intense carroty flavour it’s a shame to waste them.” Shane Delia, Shane Delia's Moorish Spice Journey

• serves

  8

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  55 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 100 g sugar
• 100 ml lemon juice
• 1 bunch baby carrots, scrubbed, tops trimmed and reserved
• 55 g (⅓ cup) blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
• pinch of ground cumin
• pinch of sweet smoked paprika
• 500 g small scallops, roe removed
• harissa and fried carrot tops (see note), to serve

B’sarra

• 570 g (3 cups) dried lima beans, soaked overnight in cold water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• sea salt and pepper, to taste

Roasted garlic oil

• 2 heads garlic
• 375 ml (1½ cups) vegetable oil, approximately

You will need to begin this recipe one day ahead.

Instructions

To make the b’ssara, drain the soaked beans and set aside. Heat the oil in large, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic and spices and stir for 6-8 minutes or until soft. Add the lima beans and enough water to cover and cook for 45 minutes until the beans are tender. Remove from the heat and use a stick blender to puree the soup until smooth. Adjust the seasoning and set aside.

Meanwhile, to make the roasted garlic oil, preheat the oven to 140°C. Place the garlic in a small baking dish and pour over the oil or just enough to cover. Bake for 45 minutes or until the garlic heads are very tender. Remove from the oven and allow the garlic to cool in the oil. Squeeze the garlic flesh into the oil, then use a stick blender to puree until smooth. Transfer to a squeezy bottle and set aside.

Place the sugar, lemon juice and 100 ml water in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, pour into a large bowl and refrigerate until cold.

Cook the carrots in a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for 3 minutes or until just tender. Drain well, then place in the cold lemon sugar water and stand until cool. Drain again, cut in half lengthways, then season to taste.

Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Add a good drizzle of roasted garlic oil, then add the carrots and almonds and toss until golden. Add the cumin, paprika and salt, then add the scallops and toss for 1 minute or until lightly cooked and just heated through, then remove from the heat.

Combine the broad beans, lentils and coriander leaves in a bowl, then divide the salad among 4 shallow bowls. Top with the carrots, scallop and almonds mixture. Pour the b’ssara around the salad, then drizzle with roasted garlic oil and dot with harissa. Sprinkle with extra paprika and cumin, then top with fried carrot tops and serve immediately.

Notes

• To deep-fry the carrot tops, fill a saucepan or deep-fryer two-thirds full of vegetable oil and heat to 180˚C. Deep-fry the carrot tops for 30 seconds or just until crisp, then drain on absorbent paper. Toss in a bowl with a pinch of sea salt and ground cumin.

• This recipe will make more roasted garlic oil than you need but it will keep refrigerated for 2-3 weeks and is a versatile condiment to have on hand.

Shane Delia's Moorish Spice Journey starts Thursday 15 October 2015 at 8pm on SBS and finishes 17 December 2015. Visit the Shane Delia's Moorish Spice Journey program page to catch-up on episodes online, scroll through recipes and read our interview with Shane.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.