The smoky bacon beans are a crowd-pleasing favourite at Woolsery Fish & Chips. Want to make them at home? Executive Chef Ian Webber shares the recipe.
Serves 8-10
Cold-pressed extra virgin rapeseed oil, 50ml
Dry cured and smoked Birch Farm pork belly, 100g, cut into lardons
Onions, 2, peeled and diced
Thyme, 2g
Oregano, 2g
Rosemary, 1g
Marjoram, 1g
Cornish pepper leaf, 1g
Bay leaf 1
Black pepper 1g
Paprika (hot or smoked) 25g
Smoked Cornish sea salt 12g
Tomato puree 50g
Dried borlotti beans 300g, soaked overnight in water
Dried haricot blanc beans 300g, soaked overnight in water
Organic split fava beans 300g, soaked overnight in water
Chicken stock 1.2l
Chopped tomatoes 440g
Garlic 3 cloves, peeled and chopped
Sugar 30g
Ostler’s apple cider vinegar 50ml
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the bacon and fry until lightly golden brown. Turn the temperature down and add the onion, herbs, spices and a pinch of salt. Sweat the onion until soft.
Add the tomato puree to the pan and cook for a further 4-5 minutes. Drain the beans, add to the pan and stir through the fat, herbs and spices.
Add the chopped tomatoes and chicken stock. Transfer into a pressure cooker and cook for 35-40 minutes until the beans are tender.
Crush the garlic, mix with a teaspoon of salt and stir through the beans.
In a small saucepan, heat the sugar until golden brown. Remove from the heat, allow to cool, then carefully stir in the apple cider vinegar. Return to the heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat.
Season the beans with the remaining salt and add the cider vinegar to taste.
The smoky bacon beans will freeze well, so making this volume is an easy way to batch cook for cold winter evenings.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the bacon and fry until lightly golden brown. Turn the temperature down and add the onion, herbs, spices and a pinch of salt. Sweat the onion until soft.
Add the tomato puree to the pan and cook for a further 4-5 minutes. Drain the beans, add to the pan and stir through the fat, herbs and spices.
Add the chopped tomatoes and chicken stock. Transfer into a pressure cooker and cook for 35-40 minutes until the beans are tender.
Crush the garlic, mix with a teaspoon of salt and stir through the beans.
In a small saucepan, heat the sugar until golden brown. Remove from the heat, allow to cool, then carefully stir in the apple cider vinegar. Return to the heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat.
Season the beans with the remaining salt and add the cider vinegar to taste.
The smoky bacon beans will freeze well, so making this volume is an easy way to batch cook for cold winter evenings.
Ian’s tip: ‘This recipe uses a pressure cooker, but you could easily cook this on the hob for an hour or so, or even do a quick version by using tinned cooked beans'.