Butter Bean, Herb And Tomato Souffle
100 g/4 oz butter beans
600 nil/1 pint water
150 ml/1/4 pint semi-skimmed milk
1 large onion, peeled and grated
4 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
1 teaspoon chopped sage
salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 eggs, separated
Put the beans in a large bowl, cover with the water, then leave to soak overnight. Alternatively, pour over boiling water and soak for several hours. Transfer the beans and water to a pan, then bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 11/2 hours until the beaus are soft, adding more water if necessary.
Drain the beans, return to the rinsed-out pan and mash well. Add the milk and onion, bring to the boil, stirring constantly, and simmer for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat, then stir in the tomatoes, herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the egg yolks and leave to cool slightly.
Beat the egg whites until just stiff, then fold into the bean sauce. Pour the mixture into a 1.5 litre/21/2 pint soufflĂ© dish. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (180 °C/350 °F, Gas Mark 4) for 1 hour until the soufflĂ© has risen and is lightly browned on top. Serve immediately.
SERVES 4 to 6
