Like every child, I loved tinned
baked beans when growing up. They were a real treat and I’ve never lost the
taste for them. Nowadays I like to make my own to get a better balance of
sweetness and acidity to suit adult tastes and to add some spice to work
against the natural blandness of the beans.
SERVES 4
- olive oil, for frying
- 100g (31⁄2 oz) pancetta lardons
- 1 red chilli, finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 red onion, peeled and finely diced
- 1 tbsp light muscovado sugar
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- Worcestershire sauce, to taste
- 500ml (18fl oz) smooth tomato passata
- 2 x 400g tins haricot beans, drained (or cannellini if
you prefer)
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE POTATO CAKES
- 500g (18oz) potatoes, peeled and boiled until tender
- 50g (2oz) butter, plus extra for frying
- 4–5 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting
❶ Place an ovenproof saucepan or
casserole dish over a medium heat and add a dash of oil. Once hot, add the
pancetta, a little pepper and the chilli and fry until cooked through but not
crisping. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then add the onion and cook
over a low heat until completely tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in half the
sugar, then add the vinegar. Boil for 1 minute, then add Worcestershire sauce
to taste.
❷
Stir in the passata and season with a good pinch of salt and pepper, the
remaining sugar and a couple of shakes of Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a
simmer and cook for 4–5 minutes. Add the beans and cook for a further 5–10
minutes, until the sauce has reduced and thickened and the beans are really
soft and tender.
❸
Meanwhile, make the potato cakes. Mash the boiled potatoes until smooth (or use
a potato ricer), add the butter and mix well. Add 4 tablespoons of the flour
along with a pinch of salt and pepper and stir well. The aim is to form a
dough, so add a little more flour if necessary.
❹
Using your hands, roll pieces of the dough into balls just larger than a golf
ball. Place them on a lightly floured work surface and flatten them into little
cakes about 1cm (1⁄2 in) thick. Chill for 20 minutes.
➎
Place a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat and add a dash of olive oil.
When hot, fry the potato cakes on either side (in batches if necessary) until
golden and crisping slightly. While
cooking, season with a pinch of salt and add a small knob of butter to the pan.
Drain the cakes on kitchen paper to remove any excess oil.
❻
Taste and adjust the seasoning of the beans as necessary, adding a little more
vinegar and/or Worcestershire sauce, as well as salt and pepper. Serve
alongside the warm potato cakes.
HOW TO FRY POTATOES WITH BUTTER
Butter gives a lovely rich finish to
fried potato, but it burns more easily than oil. For best results, start with
oil and then add butter towards the end of your cooking time, using a spoon to
baste the potatoes as the butter froths up.
