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Boston Beer Baked Beans

Here we have haricot beans that have been slowly cooked in tomatoes, white wine, beer, vinegar, stock and spices until they become slick with this piquant sauce. You can eat these with a fry-up if you like, but they should really take centre stage. I love them stuffed into a jacket potato and topped with grated cheese, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, jalapeños and fresh coriander.

SERVES 4

Preparation time 30 minutes

Cooking time 4 hours 30 minutes

300g dried white haricot beans

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

2 onions, finely chopped

1 garlic bulb, halved

300ml passata

250ml white wine

250ml Boston beer

500ml fresh gelatinous chicken or vegetable stock

2 tbsp soft brown sugar

2 tbsp sherry, red wine or cider vinegar

1 tsp black treacle

1 tbsp English mustard

1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted

few sprigs of thyme

good pinch of cloves

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water. The next day, drain and rinse the beans and put them in a heavy, ovenproof casserole and add fresh water to come about 10cm above the beans. Bring to the boil and cook for 10–15 minutes, then turn the heat down to a simmer for about 1 hour until the beans are tender but not completely soft. Drain and leave to one side.

Heat the oil in a medium casserole and slowly brown the onions for 10–15 minutes. Add the halved garlic, cut side down, for the last minute of cooking so it starts to caramelise. Next add the passata, white wine, beer and stock and bring to the boil. Mix in the brown sugar, vinegar, black treacle, mustard, cumin seeds, thyme, cloves and black pepper. Simmer this sauce for 30 minutes. Your sauce will be pretty loose, but fear not as it will have a few more hours cooking in the oven with the beans.

Preheat the oven to 150˚C/130˚C fan/gas mark 2. Put the sauce in a blender and blitz for a minute, or until super smooth. Wash out the casserole and put the beans and sauce back into it. Put on the lid and bake in the oven for 3 hours. The beans should be cooked through and the sauce should coat the beans with some slight charring on the edge. If the sauce is too thin, remove the lid and reduce it on the hob until it is thickened and full of flavour. Season with salt and pepper and you’re ready to serve.