Braised Runner Beans

Turkish Cypriot style braised runner beans

Runner Beans A Summer Classic

Runner Beans are a classic summer vegetable in England. If not picked direct from PYO (pick your own) farms, people that like to grow their own vegetables will be growing these beans.

I like to pick my own runner beans when in season this way I can select the young tender ones that have not formed stings yet! I use the beans to cook one of my favourite Turkish Cypriot dish: Etli Taze Fasulye! Green beans braised with meat. This slow cooked dish is flavourful and a great way to support your gut health. The slow cooking makes the beans easy to digest and gives you a good amount of fibre. In addition to that if you use meat on the bone like I did in my recipe below you will benefit from the gut healing properties of the broth also that is produced while cooking.

Ingredients For Braised Runner Beans, Turkish Cypriot Style:

1kg-1.5kg young runner beans. Picked from the plant without the stem end. Washed.

2-3 lamb shanks on the bone (or half a shoulder of lamb on the bone)Cut in 3 pieces if possible or remove the meat cut in large chunks-3-5 cm in size and add the bones to the pot too.

1 large onion peeled and chopped

1-2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

Sea salt and pepper

Virgin olive oil

Water

Method:

Start by gently frying the lamb in 2-3 tablespoon olive oil. season with salt and pepper while cooking on moderate heat. Once the lamb has coloured on all sides add the onion to the pan and cook till soft. Add in the tomatoes and sweat till soft.

Add in the beans and turn them in the base and add water to slightly cover them. Add some more seasoning to the beans and bring to a boil. Skim any impurities that rise and turn down to a simmer for 2 hours or till when you pierce the lamb with a fork it feels tender and falls off the bone. If the liquid fall below the beans top up with more water. The dish needs to have the liquid to cook well and the liquid is the sauce and will be eaten with the beans and lamb. Cover the pot while cooking with a lid and stir occasionally to it does not stick or burn. Squeeze in the lemon juice and bring back to a simmer for 5 more minutes than remove from he heat.

Nice to eat with some sourdough bread to pick up the juices and live yoghurt.

Young runner beans growing on the climbers