Step 1

The day before, place the dried cannellini beans in a bowl and cover with plenty of water. Leave to soak for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Step 2

Once soaked, drain all the water and rinse the beans. Place them in a heavy bottom saucepan, along with ½ teaspoon of salt, the bay leaf and about 750 ml of water

Step 3

Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat, partially uncover the pan and simmer for about 30 minutes or until beans are tender and cooked through but not mushy.

Step 4

Once cooked, drain the water (or save it as aquafaba for other recipes) and discard the bay leaf.

Step 5

Mash the beans with a fork or potato mashed, or you can pulse it in a food processor. We’re looking to have a coarse mixture here so don’t blend it to a paste.

Step 6

While the beans are cooking, you can prepare the other ingredients - chopping the herbs, preserved lemon and kombu, and toasting/crumbling the nori.

Step 7

To toast the nori sheet, hover it over a very low flame on both sides. Make sure not to let it burn. It will start to crisp up and become brittle. It’s easy to crumble it afterward by just squashing the sheet between your hands.

Step 8

Place mashed beans and the rest of the ingredients, except panko/breadcrumbs, in a large bowl. Then mix to combine everything together. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Step 9

Place some panko or breadcrumbs in a large bowl.

Step 10

Take a small portion of the mixture (I like to use a ¼ measuring cup), and form a ball.

Step 11

Roll the ball into the panko to coat evenly. Flatten the ball into a patty. It’s easier to do this in your hands so that you can shape it and keep it into a tight patty. Adhere some additional panko to the patty as you flatten it. Keep aside and repeat for the rest of the mixture.

Step 12

To cook, heat some oil in a skillet on medium heat. Once hot, place the patties, a few at a time, in the skillet.

Step 13

Cook for about 2 - 3 minutes on each side until lightly golden. Then, remove from the pan and place in a preheated oven at 180C/350F to bake for about 15 - 20 minutes.

Step 14

Alternatively, you can continue to cook the patties in the pan by turning them occasionally on either side, for about 15 minutes.

Step 15

For oil-free version, skip the pan-frying and bake for about 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 180C/350F.

Step 16

Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.