Roasted Fennel & Brussels Sprout Salad with Fig Balsamic

1 medium fennel bulb stalks and fronds removed, thinly sliced
3/4 pound Brussels sprouts thinly sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil
salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 can butter beans or white beans drained, rinsed and dried
Chili oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
9 black figs halved
2 sprigs rosemary
2 garlic cloves grated
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 210C. Evenly stagger apart two shelves.

Scatter the thinly sliced fennel on one baking sheet and the Brussels sprouts on another. Drizzle both with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

In a food processor, add the beans and pulse a few times. Fluff with a fork to create a bean "crumble" of sorts. Transfer this to a lined baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the chili oil. Evenly scatter the beans out and season with a pinch of salt.

Roast the fennel and sprouts on the top rack of the oven. Take the sprouts out after 15 minutes or when you see their edges start to brown. Take the fennel out after 20-25 minutes, or when the edges start to brown as well

Roast the beans on the bottom rack for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through. It may seem like a paste at first, but cook until they brown and dry out, becoming golden and almost breadcrumb-like.

While everything is roasting, make the dressing.

Set a small pan over medium heat and add the balsamic vinegar, honey, figs and rosemary. Season with a liberal pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Bring to a simmer, and let the vinegar reduce by almost half, 10-12 minutes.

Halfway through the dressing's cooking time, begin to mash the figs into the dressing. They should start to fall apart, and you can leave some pieces whole and some mashed in. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and continue to stir.

When the dressing is thick enough that you can run your spatula along the pan and see the bottom for a few seconds, remove it from the heat. Remove the rosemary sprigs and discard. Taste and season with salt and pepper, it should be slightly sweet but acidic.

Add the fennel to the baking sheet with the sprouts and pour over the dressing. Mix to combine.

To serve, pile into two bowls and scatter with the beans. Serve right away.

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