Butter bean gratin, roast tomatoes and salsa fresca

Ingredients

• 450g sweet ripe cherry tomatoes, such as datterini
• 15g coriander, leaves and soft stalks
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed with the flat of a knife
• 3½ tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp flaked salt
• Black pepper
• 1 x 660g jar cooked butter beans, drained (425g net)

For the cumin bechamel

• 300g silken tofu, very well drained
• 40g white miso paste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp dried onion granules
• 1 small garlic clove, peeled
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• Lots of freshly grated nutmeg (or ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg)
• ¼ tsp fine salt

For the salsa fresca

• 1 medium ripe tomato, finely chopped (100g)
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
• ¼ onion, finely chopped (30g)
• 1½ tbsp good olive oil, plus extra to serve
• 1 tbsp lime juice, plus lime wedges to serve
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 5g (1⅓ tbsp) finely chopped coriander

Method

1. Heat the oven to 240C (220C fan)/475F/gas 9. Put the cherry tomatoes in a 26cm round ovenproof pan or baking dish in which they’ll all fit snugly in a single layer. Add the coriander, garlic, oil, maple syrup, salt and plenty of pepper, and stir to coat. Roast near the top of the oven for 25-30 minutes, until softened and slightly charred. 1.Meanwhile, put all the ingredients for the bechamel in a blender with about 10 twists of the pepper mill and blitz smooth.
2. Once the tomatoes are roasted, stir in the drained butter beans and a tablespoon of water. Turn the grill to its highest setting. Top the beans with the bechamel, leaving spaces here and there for the tomatoes and liquid to bubble through when grilled, then drizzle with oil and grill, again near the top of the oven, until golden brown and bubbling – depending on the strength of your grill, this will take anywhere between five and 12 minutes, so keep an eye on it. (If you have a blowtorch, use that to get a uniform char on the surface once the bechamel has heated through.) Remove and set aside to cool for five minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the salsa fresca. In a small bowl, mix the tomato, chilli, onion, oil, lime juice and half a teaspoon of flaked salt. Just before serving, stir in the coriander.
4. Top the gratin with some of the salsa, then drizzle with oil, sprinkle with flaked salt and black pepper, and serve with lime wedges and the remaining salsa on the side.