Boston Baked Beans

 (Sarah Wilde)

For four - six

Traditionally this is made with the addition of about 250g or so of belly pork, but it’s equally good without the meat. Be warned though, you won’t want to eat canned beans after this.

Soak 450g of haricot beans overnight, drain and transfer to a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for about an hour or until tender.

Drain and reserve cooking liquid. Place beans in a large casserole dish. To the cooking water add 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of molasses, 1 teaspoon dry mustard and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. You can also add a couple of tablespoons of tomato puree, but this is not essential. Pour over the beans and cover the casserole. Cook in a low oven for as long as possible! Several hours preferably – but if you’re going to bake for say two hours you’ll need a hotter oven. These are also ideal for a slow cooker if you have one.

Great with crusty bread or jacket potatoes.