The recipe
Trim and wash 100g of spinach leaves, then cook them in a lidded pan for a minute or two until the leaves wilt. Drain them and squeeze gently, then put in a food processor or blender.
Warm 200ml of chicken stock in a deep pan. Add two 400g cans of cannellini beans and let them warm through over a moderate heat for five minutes. Then add them to the spinach in the blender, together with the stock, and process for a minute or so.
Season two 250g lamb steaks. Warm a little butter and oil in a shallow pan, add three peeled and lightly squashed garlic cloves, then brown the lamb nicely on both sides. When the lamb is cooked to your liking, remove from the pan and keep warm under a piece of kitchen foil.
Add the spinach and bean purée to the pan, stir in 100ml of double cream or crème fraîche and heat thoroughly. Check the seasoning before serving with the lamb. Serves 2.
The trick
Resting the lamb for five minutes while you continue with the sauce gives a juicier result. Rinse the beans and discard the salty, starchy liquor. Avoid including the spinach stalks unless they are very fine, otherwise they will make the purée stringy.
The twist
This is very good when done with butter beans instead of cannellini and a small rump or ribeye steak rather than lamb. I see no reason why you couldn’t do it with a chicken breast if you wish. If you fancy something more herbal, include fresh tarragon leaves with the beans when you warm and purée them. A dab of Dijon mustard in the purée is a very good idea indeed.
Email Nigel at nigel.slater@observer.co.uk. Follow Nigel on Twitter @NigelSlater