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Baked Beans

Introduction & method

Everybody loves baked beans, but they are not actually baked. This simple baked bean recipe is easy to make and the results are very tasty.

Baked Beans Recipe

Soak the Beans


Haricot beans are also known as cannellini or navy beans. Put the dried beans into a bowl and cover with 1 litre (4 US cups) of cold water. Leave to soak  overnight or at least 5 hours. 

Cook the Beans


Put the beans into a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring the water to the boil then turn the heat down to a simmer. Put a lid on the pan and cook for at least half an hour. Check the beans after this time - if you can squash one between your finger and thumb, they are cooked. If they're still hard, cook them some more - it might take an hour or more to achieve tender beans.

Make the Sauce


While the beans are cooking, make the tomato sauce. Thinly slice the onion and gently cook it in some oil on a low heat - you do not want to colour the onion, just soften it. Now add the chopped tomatoes, the passata and water, and the spices. Stir well and cook for about 10 minutes. Put the tomatoes and onions into a blender and whizz until smooth. You might also want to pass the sauce base through a fine sieve to get an extra-smooth sauce - press it through the sieve using the back of a large spoon.

Return the sauce to the pan and add sugar, vinegar and salt. Taste the sauce and add more of the previous items if you think it needs it. Set the sauce aside until the beans are ready.

Make the Baked Beans


Drain the cooked beans and stir them into the sauce. Let them cook together for about 15 minutes so the beans absorb some of the flavour of the sauce.

Serve as part of a Full English Breakfast, or on hot buttered toast made from the very cheapest kind of sliced white bread.



The video above is from the Keef Cooks YouTube channel. Click here to see the video recipe of Baked Beans on YouTube.

 

Ingredients & Info



 200 grams haricot beans
 400 grams canned chopped tomatoes
 125 ml tomato passata
 125 ml water
 half a medium onion
 1 tbsp brown sugar
 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
 1 tsp salt
 1 tsp paprika
 quarter tsp ground cloves

PLUS

Water to cook the beans in. Vegetable oil to fry the onion.


UNITS:
Metric
US Customary/Imperial

Serves 4 
Prep time: 10 minutes.
soaking time time: 2 hours.
Cooking time: 1 hour.
Total time: 1 hours 10 minutes.