Name: Maple baked beans
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 500g dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight in cold water; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 2 stalks celery, finely chopped; 150g smoked bacon (whole piece ideally), cut into 3cm pieces; 3 tbsp tomato purée; 1 sprig rosemary; 2 bay leaves; 600ml vegetable or chicken stock; 2 whole dried chipotle chillies; 4 tbsp maple syrup; 2 tbsp cider vinegar; 2 tbsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard; jacket potatoes, cornbread or soured cream, to serve

A white cast iron pot filled with tomato beans and bacon

500g dried cannellini beans
soaked overnight in cold water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion
finely chopped
2 stalks celery
finely chopped
150g smoked bacon (whole piece ideally)
cut into 3cm pieces
3 tbsp tomato purée
1 sprig rosemary
2 bay leaves
600ml vegetable or chicken stock
2 whole dried chipotle chillies
4 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard
jacket potatoes, cornbread or soured cream
to serve

Method

step 1
Drain the soaked cannellini beans and rinse again in cold water. Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3.
step 2
Heat the oil in a casserole or heavy, lidded, ovenproof frying pan, and fry the onion and celery for 10 minutes until soft. Add the bacon and cook for 5 minutes until it starts to turn lightly golden around the edges – turn up the heat slightly, if you need to.
step 3
Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute until it turns deep red, then add the herbs, beans and stock – if necessary, top up with more stock or water to cover the beans. Bring to a bubble and stir in the chillies, maple syrup, cider and mustard. Season well – the beans will absorb a lot of flavour as they cook.
step 4
Once bubbling, stir well, add the lid and cook in the oven for 3 hours until the beans are tender, adding a splash of water during cooking if the beans look like they’re too dry. Remove the lid once the beans are tender and cook for 15-20 minutes or until thickened and saucy. Taste for seasoning, adding extra vinegar, mustard and maple syrup, if you like. Add an extra splash of water if needed to make it saucy. Fish out any whole chillies, chop and stir back into the beans. Discard the bay and rosemary. Serve in jacket potatoes, with cornbread, or on its own with a swirl of soured cream.