INGREDIENTS

150 ml olive oil
1 white onion
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
2 tbl tomato paste (concentrated puree)
100 g sugar (any type)
235 ml red wine vinegar
2 x 400 g tins crushed tomatoes
1 tin of water (use an empty tomato tin)
750 g cooked white beans

TO MAKE

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan (measuring at least 26 cm in diameter by 10 cm deep) over medium heat. Add the onion and gently sweat. Once the onion has started to go translucent, add all the spices and cook out for 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook out for 3 minutes. Add the sugar and vinegar and reduce by one-third or until sticky.

Add the tomatoes and water and bring to the boil. Continue to cook for 5 minutes on full heat, stirring continuously.

Turn the heat back down to medium, add the beans and cook until the beans have started to absorb the tomato and flavours of the sauce, about 15–25 minutes.

Serve the beans in little tins placed in the middle of the table for a bit of fun at breakfast, with generously buttered slices of toast (you may want to peel the labels off the tinned tomatoes and use them for serving in). The beans will keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Note: You can use 2 x 375 g tins cooked white beans (cannellini or haricot), drained and rinsed, or 750 g cooked dried white beans. If using the latter, soak 400 g of dried white beans in plenty of water, then drain and cook in boiling water for 30 minutes or until tender.

Serves 6

Recipe from Mr Wilkinson’s Favourite Vegetables: A Cookbook To Celebrate The Seasons by Matt Wilkinson. Published by Murdoch Books.