Ingredients
375g dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 thick rashers streaky bacon, cut into 1cm strips
2 red capsicum, seeded, cut into 2cm squares
400g can tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp crushed coriander seeds
3 tbsp maple syrup*
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and black pepper
*Or use treacle, golden syrup or honey.
Method
Preheat oven to 160C.
Rinse beans, then cover with cold water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, strain and rinse with cold water.
Heat oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish and saute onion, garlic, carrot and bacon for 5 minutes. When onion softens and bacon sizzles, add capsicum.
Puree tomatoes and juice in a food processor and add to casserole dish with beans and remaining ingredients, except syrup and vinegar. Mix well.
Add cold water to cover beans by 4 centimetres.
Put casserole dish, tightly sealed, in oven and bake for at least 4 hours. Stir well after 2 hours and check beans are still quite moist (add a little water if too dry and reduce oven temperature).
After 4 hours, stir in syrup, vinegar, salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. The beans should be in a rich sauce.
If too thick, add a little extra water; if too runny and the beans are tender, increase oven temperature and continue to cook.
