My Baked Beans

Opening a can of baked beans and serving hot on toast is the ultimate, tasty, fast food. Home baking beans adds another dimension; not only are they delicious you can control what goes in and avoid the added sugar found in the canned variety.

My Baked Bean Recipe is based on beans I used to cook in Italy, so though not strictly a British recipe, I have cooked then so many times here in the UK, I feel they are allowed.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 oz/110g dried white haricots blanc
• 1 small onion, peeled
• 4 cloves
• 4 tsp tomato concentrate
• 6 black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 fresh sage leaves
• 6 large cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 tomato, diced, peeled and deseeded
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Preparation:

Serves 6
Preheat the oven to 320°F/160°C

• Place the beans in large bowl or pan, cover with cold water and leave to soak overnight.
• Next day rinse the beans and place in a large ovenproof pan or deep roasting tin, with enough cold water to cover.
• Pierce the peeled onion with the cloves and add to the beans with 2 tsp of the tomato concentrate, black peppercorns, bay leaf, sage, the garlic and the canned tomatoes. Bring to the boil on the stove top then place in the oven for approx 2-3 hours until the beans are quite soft. From time to time during the cooking, check that the beans aren't drying out, if they appear to be lower the heat and add a little boiling water.
• Remove the bay leaf and cloves and onion. Add the diced tomato and the remaining tomato concentrate, stir, then cook for 30 minutes more. Season to taste and serve sprinkled with fruity olive oil, if using.