Garlic & Chili Baked Beans | Jamie Oliver

When the external conditions are grim, don’t despair, be prepared. Faced with a pandemic with an uncertain end point, let’s get our food supply in order. There is no better time to stock up on beans (and flour too if you’re a baker), which are nutritious, a source of protein with a long shell life. Until a few months ago, I don’t know the rich heritage and diversity of heirloom beans. All I know are the usual supermarket varieties (black, white, red beans and chickpea). With a good supply of heirloom beans I’ve recently collected, I need to expand my repertoire of bean recipes, starting with garlic and chili baked beans by Jamie Oliver.

From the start, the recipe says baked beans, but there is no baking involved. Dry beans need to be cooked, but soaking may not be all that necessary. Rinsing, yes! The beans just take longer time in simmering. What surprises me is how fast the beans turn tender. Now I know fresh dry beans take shorter time to cook than I’ve expected, another misconception debunked.

I use yellow eye beans from Rancho Gordo in Napa. They are small white beans with a distinctive patch of yellow on the side. Once cooked, they are creamy and delicious. Garlic and chili add enough flavor to brighten the beans without being overpowering. I serve it on a piece of toasted sourdough bread. Since garlic scapes are in season, I throw them in the mix to enhance the taste of garlic.

Print Recipe

Garlic & chilli baked beans

Ingredients

• 4 cloves of garlic
• ½ a bunch of fresh rosemary
• olive oil
• ½ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes
• 2 400 g tins of cannellini beans, (I use yellow eye heirloom beans)
• ½ a bunch of fresh parsley
• red wine vinegar
• 1 lemon

Instructions

1

Peel and finely slice the garlic, then pick and finely chop the rosemary leaves.

2

Heat a splash of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, then fry the garlic, rosemary and chilli until the garlic is golden. Remove a few spoonfuls of fried rosemary to use as garnish.

3

Stir in the tinned beans, along with their juices, then let everything cook and reduce for about 5 minutes, or until thick and delicious. Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley.

4

Add a glug of vinegar to the beans and season to taste.

5

Finish with the chopped parsley and a good squeeze of lemon juice, drizzling over a little cold-pressed olive oil, if you like.

6

Serve the beans on toasted sourdough bread, or as a side dish to grilled fish or roasted chicken, sprinkled with the reserved crispy rosemary.

Notes

https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetable-recipes/garlic-chilli-baked-beans/