British Baked Beans

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 250 g pinto beans or 250 g haricot beans
• 200 g unsmoked back bacon (tastes better with) (optional)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tablespoons black treacle
• 800 g chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree
• parsley, chopped

Recipe

• 1 soak the beans in cold water for 8 hours or overnight. then cook according to pack instructions (i leave the lid off the pan, and add a tsp of baking soda to combat the gas producing side effects of beans. it works very well). remember to boil well for 10 minutes before simmering, or you may get a tummy upset!
• 2 heat a large pan and add the bacon if using (if not using, make sure you use something else to lift the beans - more salt, a bit of chili, worcester sauce or whatever. these can also be added to the bacon version for still more flavour). fry for 1 minute.
• 3 add the onion, celery (i use celery salt) and garlic, and continue to fry for 4-5 minutes until the bacon is cooked and the onion has started to soften.
• 4 stir in the chopped tomatoes, black treacle and tomato puree. bring to a simmer, then stir in the cooked beans. return to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes (or put into crockpot on low to be ready and waiting later).
• 5 stir in the chopped parsley then spoon over toast, into jacket potato, or whatever.
• 6 freezes well.