Roasted Veggie Samp & Beans

Monday, April 09, 2018

Roasted Veggie Samp & Beans

Humble and Honest go to town in this recipe. A bit of effort and some nifty footwork pushes Samp & Beans into the realm of the charming and unexpected.

Samp, in the local, Southern African context, is a staple starch and is at it’s most basic hulled, cracked (roughly broken) maize kernels. The beans in this recipe are locally referred to as “red speckled sugar beans” or simply “sugar beans”. The American equivalent is probably pinto beans.

Uncooked Samp, Beans & Dried Tomato Mixture

In Southern Africa, samp & beans is a staple food combination that is nourishing, flexible and – most importantly – dirt cheap. Both samp and beans supply ample quantities of starch while the beans are a nutrient dense source of protein, phosphorus, manganese, soluble dietary fiber and folate – amongst others. Beneficially, beans are very low in fat, thus turning the combination into a healthy and nutritious base for a diet low in (or absent of) animal protein.

However, samp & beans is not an all “sparkles and fairy dust” story. The dark elements to this tale are:

Cooked samp & beans are quite bland tasting on their own. It is the responsibly of the crafty cook to introduce elements of surprise and delightful twists in the plot. That is exactly what this post’s recipe does.
Both maize kernels (samp) and legume beans are nutrient reserves for the seed structures that will propagate the next generation of these two species. Nature abhors waste, even the waste of space. Consequently evolution arranged for these nutrient reserves to be packed in as dense and efficient a package as possible. This dense arrangement of nutrients requires both products to be soaked overnight in water to reduce the eventual cooking time into the realm of the reasonable.
Cooked beans can have an earthy, almost mineral-like taste if old. This tends to discourage many a diner who is not used to beans in their diet. Fresh, glossy and ‘tight’ beans are charming and minimise this taste problem. Reducing the ratio of beans to other ingredients also helps to reduce the beaniness factor.
Beans have a reputation for generating intestinal gas in some people. Fortunately beans digest slowly and the eater should be out of ear- and nose-shot when the fun begins.

Back to the mundane: samp & beans is locally available as a commercial, premixed product on store shelves. The ratio of beans to samp vary between manufacturers, but appear (by eyeball, Mark 1 measurement) to vary between 10% – 20% beans per weight. I prefer a higher ratio and for this recipe the ratio of beans to samp is 1 : 2. What can I say? I find beans charming and therefore ‘roll my own’.

From a certain perspective, today’s recipe is a study in excess. Vegetables are roasted, orange peel is candied and sundried tomatoes are thrown in to boot. Be that as it may, some method is applied to the general madness. The roasted butternut, carrots and onions add a lovely savoury-sweetness to the overall blandness, while the peas balance the earthiness of the beans. Tart, sundried tomatoes soberly cut through the almost-too-much sweetness just before the whole orchestra drops noisily and rambunctiously off the cliff’s edge. And the candied citrus peel? Well this contributes an element of bawdy surprise to delight and intrigue the diner who pays attention to what is on his or her plate.

As I am approaching middle years, I find the desire for animal protein in my diet slowly decreasing. This dish serves well for meat free days or as a vegetarian main course. Pickled Pink Onions make a charming and delightful accompaniment.

ROASTED VEGGIE SAMP & BEANS

– PRINT RECIPE –

Recipe yields:

4 Portions

Preparation time:

1 Day + 20 Minutes

Cooking time:

± 60 Minutes

Difficulty level:

Easy

Special Equipment Required:

2 x Shallow roasting pans

1 x Tin foil

Ingredients:

For the Roasted Veggies:
Medium butternut, cut into rounds & peeled	½ / ± 600g
Peeled carrots, large	2 / ± 250g
Yellow onions, medium & peeled	2
Sunflower oil	30ml
Mixed herbs	5ml

For the Samp & Beans:
Samp	120g
Red speckled sugar beans / Pinto beans	60g
Water	400ml
Vegetable stock powder	2.5ml
Dried bay leaves	5
Dried allspice (pimento) berries	5
Spice for rice	5ml
Salt	5ml

Frozen garden peas, defrosted	120g
Oven or sun dried cocktail tomatoes	15g
Optional:
Unsalted butter	15ml
Candied orange or lemon peel, rough chopped	10ml

TOP

Method:

For the Roasted Veggies: Cut the butternut rounds into batons approx. 1 finger wide. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Cut the carrots into 3 sections each. Quarter each carrot section lengthwise and combine with the butternut batons. Add the mixed herbs and ¾ of the sunflower oil. Toss to mix well. Cut each onion into lengthwise quarters. Paint each quarter onion wedge with the remaining sunflower oil.
Fully cover each roasting pan inside with tin foil. Spray thoroughly with non-stick cooking spray. Divide and arrange the prepared vegetables evenly between the 2 pans. Roast the vegetables for 35 minutes at 165°C (330 deg. Fahrenheit) in a preheated convection oven. Turn the pans half way through the roasting process.
Let the roasted vegetables cool to room temperature and dice into rough chunks. Cover and set aside until needed.
For the Samp & Beans: Combine the samp and beans and wash 3 times thoroughly with cold, running water. Transfer the samp & beans to a bowl and cover with fresh, cold water to one finger depth over the surface of the samp & beans. Cover and set aside to soak overnight.
Drain and rinse the samp & beans. Transfer to a medium large sauce pan and add the water, bay leaves, allspice berries and vegetable stock powder. Do not add the salt or the beans will not soften. Set over medium heat until the contents start to boil. Turn the heat down until the contents simmer slowly. Simmer for 35 – 45 minutes until the beans are soft or the content is almost dry. Stir occasionally. Add small quantities of boiling water extra if the beans are not deemed soft enough near the end of cooking. Keep in mind the beans will not turn mushy but will retain some small measure of ‘bite’.
Turn the heat down to very low when the samp & beans are ready. Remove the bay leaves and allspice berries. Add the peas, tomatoes, spice for rice and salt and gently stir through until well mixed. Add the reserved roasted veggies (and butter and or candied lemon / orange peel, if used) and mix through gently. Allow the contents to fully reheat for 3 – 4 minutes over very low heat before serving.
Serve with any roasted or grilled beef, lamb and pork or chicken cuts, Pickled Pink Onions and a crisp green salad. Browned Onion Gravy makes an excellent accompaniment too.