BEANZ MEANZ MINEZ.

There’s nothing quite like your very own baked beans on toast. And there are two ways to get you there; the fast and the slow.

When you wake up with a craving for baked beans on toast, it can go either way:

You can soak dried beans overnight, layer them with ham hock, onions, maple syrup and chipotle in adobo, and cook them until they’re dark and smoky and treacly. Or you can open a can of beans and chuck in half a dozen things from the cupboard with the noble aim of impersonating Mr Heinz - a result otherwise known as too sweet, too salty, thickened with cornflour, and damn delicious. (Both recipes lurk below).

The slow way is great because the beans retain their shape, yet absorb all the good flavours.  It’s also chockers with shredded ham hock so is a meal in itself - just top with a fried egg or serve with buttered toast and a salad.

The fast way is also great, because if you crave the sort of baked beans you get from a can, then that’s what you have to have. It’s ridiculously easy, and just the thing for breakfast, brunch or an easy mid-week dinner topped with crisp-skinned sausages, duck breast or salmon.

I suppose you could always give up and buy a can of Heinz, but to me, beanz meanz minez.

SLOW BAKED BEANS: DEEP, DARK AND SMOKY

• 400 g dried white beans (haricot/navy)

• 1 smoked ham hock, rind scored

• 2 onions, finely chopped

• 2 bay leaves

• 400 g canned tomatoes, chopped

• 2 tbsp tomato sauce (ketchup)

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• 2 tbsp cider or red wine vinegar

• 3 tbsp maple syrup or dark brown sugar

• 1 tsp chipotle in adobo, chopped

• 1 tbsp mustard or mustard powder

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp sea salt

• Half tsp ground black pepper

• chopped parsley for serving

Cover beans with cold water and soak overnight.

Heat oven to 160C. Drain beans, rinse, and place in a large ovenproof and heatproof casserole with the ham hock, bay leaves and chopped onion.  Add cold water to cover by 4cm, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes, skimming as necessary.

Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, vinegar, maple syrup, chipotle, mustard, garlic powder, sea salt and pepper and bring to the boil, stirring.

Cover and bake in the oven for 2 hours or until the beans are tender, stirring (and testing for doneness) once or twice.

Remove the ham hock and shred into bite-sized pieces, discarding bone and skin. Return as much ham as you would like, to the beans, and check for flavours and seasoning. You might like to freshen up the yin/yang of maple syrup and vinegar, or amp up the adobe heat.

Remove the lid and bake for 10 minutes until browned.

Scatter with parsley and serve. Serves 6

TIPS:

Not into ham? Amp up the smokiness with smoked paprika and chipotle in adobo.

A glass of beer or red wine wouldn’t go astray (in the beans, if you don’t mind).

Cooking time will depend on the age of your beans; older beans will take longer.

Molasses or treacle will get you there faster, but maple syrup has such a lovely lightness to it. If not, then a dark brown sugar.

Fold in wilted greens - silver beet, cavolo nero, kale - grate cheese on top and serve.

FAST BAKED BEANZ

Easy to scale up, with two cans, three cans, etc.

• 400 g can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

• 200 ml vegetable or chicken stock

• Dash of Worcestershire sauce

• 2 tbsp tomato sauce (ketchup)

• 1 tsp tomato paste

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tbsp apple cider or red wine vinegar

• Half tsp garlic powder

• half tsp sea salt, good grind of pepper

• 1 tsp corn flour

Combine all ingredients except for the corn flour, and bring to the boil, stirring.

Simmer for 15 minutes, until thickened but still a bit runny.

Check for flavours and seasoning, and adjust to your own particular craving.

Mix the corn flour with 1 tbsp cold water and stir into the beans to thicken the sauce.

Simmer for 2 minutes, and serve on hot buttered toast. Serves 1 to 2.

TIPS:

Bacon! Chop it and fry it up first, then add everything else, or crisp whole rashers in the oven and serve crumbled on top. Or do both.

Spice it up Bollywood style with chopped green chilli and fresh coriander on top.

Add beans to your next burger or pie. They’re great smashed inside a toasty quesadilla. *Thinks* Would they be too weird on a pizza? With a fried egg?

Thanks for reading! And special thanks to my right-hand man, Terry Durack, for reminding me about the cultural significance of bacon and the integral role it plays in baked bean mythology.

I would also like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands and waters upon which I work, live, cook and play; the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. I fully support the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice to be enshrined in Australia’s Constitution. It’s about time, folks.