This is a cracking recipe that I love. Tinned baked beans will never cut it again.
- Carbohydrate 3.31002000610273 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.0769175 g
- Fiber 0.203400008291006 g
- Protein 0.131602500079034 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0122705 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (18g)
- Sodium 111.164893401879 mg
- Sugar 3.10661999781172 g
- Trans Fat 0.009081 g
- Calories 15 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Heat an oven proof pan (that has a lid) to medium and add a spoonful of olive oil.
- When sufficiently heated add the garlic, onion and paprika.
- Cook until translucent then add the balsamic and stir to combine.
- Drain most of the liquid from the beans, but not all of it, and pour the beans into the pan.
- Add the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands or use a potato masher.
- Add a few good splashes of Worcestershire sauce and a couple of dashes of Tabasco.
- Season well with salt and pepper and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
- Throw on a lid and transfer to the over, cook for about an hour, or until thick and dark.
- To serve: Toast the bread, then divide the beans between the slices.
- Add some grated parmesan if desired.
Choosing the Right Vessel
Achieving proper consistency in bean dishes relies heavily on thermal mass and heat distribution. A heavy cast-iron Dutch oven or a thick-walled ceramic casserole with a tight-fitting lid is essential here. Thin metal baking dishes will scorch the tomato sugars before the starches inside the cannellini beans can fully break down and thicken the surrounding liquid. When heating the initial aromatics, ensure the oil reaches 175 degrees Celsius before introducing the garlic and onions to prevent them from steaming instead of sweating. Retaining a small amount of the canning liquid provides natural starches that act as an emulsifier when combined with the balsamic vinegar and plum tomatoes.
The Transformation Through Heat
Traditional regional variations often rely on long hours of indirect dry heat to concentrate flavors. Operating the oven at 180 degrees Celsius creates a gentle convection current under a closed lid, allowing the Worcestershire sauce and smoked paprika to permeate the legumes without boiling them into mush. Leave the lid slightly cracked during the final fifteen minutes of the one-hour baking window if the mixture appears too thin. The resulting sauce should cling to the back of a spoon with a deep, glossy finish before spooning over toasted sourdough.
