Name: Creamy prawn, leek and white bean stew
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 15g unsalted butter; 3 medium leeks (about 600g), trimmed, halved lengthways and sliced 1cm thick; 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced; 1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed; 150ml dry white wine; 500ml hot fish or vegetable stock; 2 x 400g tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed; 100g full-fat crème fraîche; 1 unwaxed lemon, zest finely grated, then juiced; 350g raw peeled king prawns; 100g baby spinach; Small bunch dill, chopped; Crusty bread (optional)

Creamy prawn, leek and white bean stew

Our prawn and bean stew recipe folds new-season leeks, lemon and dill into a creamy one-pan supper, just right for the start of British Food Fortnight.

Gluten-free

Serves4

Hands-on20 min

Oven20 min

DifficultyEasy

Leeks cooked slowly in butter until they slump into something soft and sweet are the base of this bowl. British leeks are back in the shops from September, according to the Vegetarian Society’s UK seasonal produce calendar, and they need little more than beans and a handful of seafood to become a warming weeknight stew.

Why it’s so good: Crushing some of the beans against the pan thickens the broth without any flour, while fennel seeds and lemon zest give the sweet prawns a fresh, gently aniseed edge.

Make it easy: Use frozen raw prawns defrosted overnight in the fridge and the prep takes about ten minutes.

Method

Heat the oil and butter in a large, deep frying pan or shallow casserole (about 28cm) over a medium-low heat. Add the leeks with a pinch of salt, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and silky but not coloured.

Stir in the garlic and fennel seeds and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Turn up the heat, pour in the wine and let it bubble for 2-3 minutes until reduced by about half.

Add the stock and beans. Using the back of a wooden spoon, crush roughly a quarter of the beans against the side of the pan. Simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes until the liquid has thickened slightly and coats the beans.

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the crème fraîche and lemon zest. Add the prawns and simmer gently for 3-4 minutes, turning them once, until they are pink and opaque all the way through. Keep the heat low so the sauce does not split.

Stir in the spinach for about 1 minute until just wilted. Add lemon juice to taste, season with salt and black pepper, then stir through most of the dill.

Ladle into warm bowls, scatter over the remaining dill and serve with crusty bread for mopping up the broth, if you like.

Per serving (Serves 4)

Calories

450kcals

Fat

20g (9g saturated)

Protein

32g

Carbohydrates

22g (5g sugars)

Fibre

11g

Salt

1.6g

Quick wins, tips & make ahead

Frozen raw prawns work well: defrost them overnight in the fridge and pat dry before using. If you only have cooked prawns, add them with the spinach and heat for 1-2 minutes until steaming hot.

The stew is gluten-free as long as the stock is, so check the label, and serve it with gluten-free bread or on its own.

Butter beans or haricot beans can replace the cannellini. For a lighter version, swap half the crème fraîche for extra stock.

Cool any leftovers quickly, chill and eat the next day, reheating gently until steaming hot. The stew is not suitable for freezing once the prawns are in.