Guernsey Bean Jar is a traditional Channel Islands recipe (from Guernsey) for a classic slow-cooked stew of pig trotter or beef shin and beans with onion and carrot in a stock base. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Channel Islands version of: Guernsey Bean Jar.
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Guernsey Bean Jar has been part of island life for centuries. It is said that in the past the bakers of Guernsey used to let islanders put their prepared bean jars in the warm ovens overnight after they had finished cooking the bread.
Traditionally the dish would be started on the Friday night with the soaking of dried beans. Next day, Saturday cheap cuts of meat would be bought (normally pigs trotters). Beans and meat would briefly be boiled and transferred to a pottery jar “the Bean Jar” this would be covered with thick brown paper tied with string and marked with the family name. This would be taken to the nearest bakery and the jars put into the cooling oven as no bread was baked on the Sunday.
n the morning the cooked Bean Jar was collected and the baker was paid per jar. The Bean Jar was then stored and eaten on Monday, washing Day, as the women were too busy washing clothes to cook and normally reheated the jar on Tuesday because this was ironing day.
Guernsey bean jar is considered the Bailiwick of Guernsey's national dish.
Ingredients:
1 pigs trotter or shin of beef
200g Haricot beans
200g butter beans
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1.1l beef stock or water
Method:
Pick over and wash the beans, set in a large bowl, cover with plenty of water and set aside over night to soak.
The following day drain the beans then combine all the ingredients in either an earthenware pot or a large casserole dish and pour over the water or stock.
Cover the jar or dish with a lid and place it in a moderate oven at 150–170°C (gas mark 2–3) or for 6–8 hours.
Check the dish occasionally and top up the liquid level as needed.
Check the seasoning, remove the bones from the meat and the bay leaf (discard these).
Serve with crusty bread and Guernsey butter.
As a variant you could add two diced potatoes and add a bouquet garni along with the bay leaf.
