Recipe: Bonfire Ham, Egg & Beans

What better dish to eat around the bonfire this weekend than a steaming bowl of smoky BBQ beans with ham hock and a runny fried egg. Follow Mel Hutchfield's delicious new recipe for the ultimate Bonfire Night warmer.

I’ve used a mix of cannellini and black beans but you could also use aduki, pinto, kidney beans etc, all of which can easily be bought pre-cooked in tins. The ham hock can also be bought pre-cooked and shredded.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 1 small chopped onion
• 200g of cubed pancetta [or bacon]
• 400g tin of chopped tomato
• 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 3 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp dark muscavado sugar
• 1 tsp thyme
• ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
• 4 tbsp BBQ sauce
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 150g water
• 380g cooked black beans
• 120g cooked cannellini beans
• 100g cooked ham hock
• 70g grated strong cheddar cheese
• 4 eggs

Method:

1. Fry the onion and pancetta on a medium heat until the onion has softened and the pancetta has turned crispy.

2. Add the chopped tomato, mustard, vinegar, sugar, thyme, chilli flakes, BBQ sauce, tomato puree and water, then bring to the boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Empty the beans into a colander and rinse, then add the beans to the sauce and lower the heat to a gentle simmer.

4. Cook for about 30mins until the liquid has reduced and started to turn thick and syrupy.

5. Stir in the ham hock and cheese, then allow to heat through while you fry (or poach) the eggs.

6. Serve in a bowl topped with an egg and some crusty bread for dunking.