Heerenbone with mussels and dune spinach

1. Boil the heerenbone in unsalted water for approximately 40 minutes, or until completely tender, then drain. Purée the cooked beans with the butter, 3 T olive oil, lemon juice and salt in a food processor until smooth.

2. Heat the remaining olive oil to smoking point in a large pan. Add the mussels all at once and cover with a lid. Cook for 1 minute, then lift the lid and stir to evenly distribute heat.

3. Add the wine, cover and cook a further 2 minutes until all the shells have opened. Strain, reserving the mussel stock. Remove the cooked mussels from their shells – make doubly sure all beards are removed.

4. To serve, heat the mussels in a little bit of their own stock. Add the remaining stock to the heerenbone purée and heat through.

5. Flash fry the dune spinach in a bit of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Scoop the purée into heated bowls, top with mussels and dune spinach leaves and serve.

Cook’s notes:
* Heerenbone (“The Lord’s beans”): this South African heirloom bean is still cultivated in the Sandveld area of the west coast of South Africa. Substitute with butter beans or lima beans.
** Dune spinach is indigenous to the dunes of South Africa. Substitute with baby spinach.