Braised Fennel & Butter Bean Stew with Butter Bean Stew

Peel and finely chop the sweet potato into 1/2cm cubes.

Peel and finely chop the garlic.

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add the stock cube and stir to dissolve.

Trim the stalks from the fennel and reserve the green fronds as a garnish.

Chop the fennel into large wedges.

Halve and cut the zucchini into wedges.

Peel and finely slice the onion.

Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat.

When hot, add the onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes until translucent.

Sprinkle over the saffron, half of the fresh and all of the dried thyme and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly.

Add the fennel, sweet potato and zucchini wedges and cook until golden, stirring occassionally.

Add the balsamic vinegar and honey and continue to turn to coat the vegetables and caramelise.

When the vegetables are well coloured and caramelised, stir in the tomato paste.

Using the correct amount of stock, gradually pour in the stock and stir through.

Cover the pan and reduce the heat to allow to simmer until the vegetables are tender (10-15 minutes). Add more water as needed.

When the sweet potato is cooked through, add the butter beans to the stew.

Remove the vegetable stew from the heat, then distribute evenly among the serving plates.

Garnish the dish with the reserved fennel fronds and the remaining fresh thyme.