Maple Baked Beans~

Recipe By : Sophie Grigson, Style,The Sunday Times, September 29, 1996
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Vegetables

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
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500 Grams Dried Cannellini Beans — Soaked Overnight
1 Ham Knuckle — Soaked Overnight
2 Sprigs Thyme
1 Large Sprig Rosemary
1 Bay Leaf
1 Large Onion — Chopped
4 Cloves Garlic — Sliced
4 Strips Lemon Zest
150 Milliliters Maple Syrup
1 Tablespoon Tabasco Or Other Chilli Sauce — Or More ???
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
Salt And Pepper
Topping:
3 To 4 Eating Apples, Cored — Cut Into Eighths
30 Grams Butter — Softened
50 Milliliters Rum — Optional

Soak the beans overnight in plenty of water, then drain. Put into a pan and
cover with fresh water. Boil hard for 10 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer until
tender – about 45 to 60 minutes.Drain, reserving cooking water.

Put half the beans, together with half the onion and garlic, into a large, oven
proof casserole. Add herbs, tied together with a piece of string. Bury two of
the strips of lemon zest in the beans. Lay the ham knuckle on top, then cover
with remaining beans, onions, garlic and lemon zest. Mix syrup, Tabasco and
mustard and pour over. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then pour over just
enough of the reserved cooking water to cover. Cover the casserole tightly and
bake at 150F, 300 C,
gas mark 2 for 3 hours. Arrange the apple pieces decoratively over the beans.
You may not need them all. If there is rather too much liquid left in the dish,
scoop a little more out so that the apples can perch more comfortably. Dot with
butter and return to the oven for an hour. If using rum, pour it over the top
just before serving.

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NOTES : Based on a recipe from the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association
booklet of maple syrup dishes, this is an unusual take on slow-cooked beans,
sweetened with syrup, salted with the juices of the ham and spiced up with
Tabasco sauce. The apple slices bring together all the elements, so do not be
tempted to leave them out. The rum, however, is not essential.

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