No burner, no pan, no washing up beyond a bowl and a fork. On a day when the weather has beaten you or the gas has run out, this is the dish that means you still eat properly.
The whole thing depends on doing two small things well.
Drain and rinse the beans. The liquid in the tin is cloudy and tastes of tin, and here there is no cooking to hide it. Rinsing also takes out a worthwhile amount of the sodium, which matters more than you would think if you are eating out of tins for weeks rather than days.
Dress it while the beans are dry. Beans absorb dressing readily in the first minute and then stop. Oil, lemon and salt onto drained beans first, mixed and left for five minutes, then the tuna folded through at the end so it stays in pieces rather than turning to paste.
- Drain and rinse the butter beans. Drain the tuna, keeping the oil if it is a good one — it can go into the dressing.
- Mix the oil, lemon juice, chilli and a little salt in the bottom of the bowl. Add the beans and the capers, turn them through, and leave for five minutes.
- Fold in the tuna in large flakes. Taste for salt and acid.
Better after ten minutes standing than immediately, which is the only patience it asks of you.
Serves 2 as a light meal, or 4 alongside bread.