Delicious Traditional Guernsey Bean Jar Recipe
In the Channel Island of Guernsey we have a famous traditional recipe that is one of the most delicious things you will ever taste, plus being very inexpensive to make. It is called a Guernsey Bean Jar and all you need are some basic ingredients and plenty of time to cook it, as the longer it cooks the better it tastes.
Traditional Guernsey Bean Jar is a bit like a combination of a stew and a casserole, but with much better flavour. Competitions are held frequently to find better and better recipes, and many of these recipes can be found by surfing the Internet. This dish is frequently found on menus within local family pubs and bars and is always a very popular choice.
I strongly recommend everyone try making this dish, as I guarantee it will soon become a firm family favourite.
What Equipment Will You Need
There are two methods to actually cook your Guernsey Bean Jar, so depending on which one you choose, you will need either a large oven crock pot or casserole dish (with a tight fitting lid), or a decent sized slow cooker. The oven cooking usually produces the better results, but the results are also impressive if the Bean Jar is cooked in a slow cooker.
In addition to the above you simply need your ingredients and the patience to wait for it to be ready.
Guernsey Bean Jar Recipe
Ingredients
Approx 500g of dried Haricot and Butter Beans (plus extra if you are following the Top Tip at the end of the recipe).
1 decent sized pork hock with fat on and bone in, (you can also use a pigs trotter instead).
1 beef shin with bone in.
2 or 3 average sized carrots.
Salt + Black Pepper
2 beef or pork stock cubes
1 or 2 large onions depending on size of your crock pot or dish.
A tablespoon of mixed herbs.
A French Stick loaf and Guernsey butter to serve iwith it.
Method
1) First cover your dried beans in cold water in a pan and soak overnight before rinsing thoroughly under running water.
2) Place a third of the soaked beans into the bottom of your casserole dish.
3) Peel your carrots and onions and dice into relatively small pieces.
4) Add a third of the diced vegetables to the beans already in your dish.
5) Place both the pork hock and the beef shin on top of the bean and veg mixture.
6) Add the rest of your vegetables and beans on and around the meat in the dish.
7) Add your tablespoon of mixed herbs, (or more according to taste).
8) Add approx a teaspoon of pepper, (or more according to taste).
9) Cover the contents of your casserole with water and crumble the stock cubes into the dish..
10) Do not add the salt until the last hour or so of cooking time or your beans may stay too firm.
11) Depending on which method of cooking you have chosen, either bring to the boil on a high heat in the slow cooker or in your oven, before turning the heat right down to very low (approx 120 degrees Celsius).
12) Allow to cook for an absolute minimum of 8 hours, although I prefer to leave mine cooking for closer to 12 hours. Every now and again check the dish to make sure there is enough liquid and top up if necessary.
13) Remove the meat carefully from the dish and then remove the fat and the bones and discard before returning the meat in small shreds or pieces to the other ingredients.
14) Now is the time to add your salt (according to taste).
15) Return your casserole to the oven or the slow cooker and leave on for a further hour.
16) Butter slices of your french bread stick and serve the Guernsey Bean Jar in soup bowls or deep dishes along with a spoon and several slices of the bread.
Top Tip: Soak and boil extra beans in a separate saucepan to add later as a thickener or to replace beans which have broken up during cooking.
You will find this recipe is mouthwateringly moreish, and if you fail to empty the casserole dish on the day it is ready, it tastes even better on day two. My only warning, beware of a 'windy' time afterwards due to the beans, and don't worry if your friends avoid you for a day or so after eating it because of this side effect, they will soon be converts themselves if you give them a taste of your Bean Jar to try too.
Comments
Hi Cindy, i came across your posting, as I'm just about to make my first Guernsey Bean Jar. (Appalling admission), as I loved it as a kid growing up in Guernsey and my grandmother used to make it all the time. But since moving to the UK over 30 years ago, I have never actually got round to trying to make it myself. So high time to put matters right :) I've not got any haricot beans, so hoping that cannellini beans will do instead. I've been soaking my butter beans overnight, and have pork belly strip in place of trotters, but might make a trip to the super to see if they have beef shin to add to the Creuset.
Your blog is great.
Best wishes, Ray
P.S.
"What is "Traditional" ?
Time passed the family "mum" had her own recipe (probable varied from week to week), which they put in their "Jar" and took to the baker on Saturday, to be collected the following morning for Sunday Lunch. Each jar had it's label on and I am sure that each jar was different - "What is "Traditional" ?
Bonjour Cindy,
Once more “into the fray” after dropping the “bombshell” a couple of years ago - “carrots in a Bean Jar !!!!!!!!!!!! Have always know them included - since my very first”bean Jar” in 1947 (made very traditionally from an old Jersey family recipe). When I moved to Guernsey in the early 60's – there they were, just the same. As you said - use the vegetables left over in the cupboard - just like that which is all the rage at the moment “Potato Peal Pie” (Cinematically, that is !!!!) Am a little puzzled by your vegetarian contributor - R (Richard ?) Le Prevost - surely he doesn't eat a true bean jar with all that meat !!!!!!!!!!!
Which leads me on to my “cheat veggie” recipe, which I made recently for some “Veggie Visitors”, in my new bean jar that I brought back from Guernsey at the end of last year. A beautiful one made by Tim Babbé, bought from the Coach House Gallery.
It's another “bomber” !!!! “Tinned Beans” !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- but it only takes two hours to make !
Every sort of tinned beans that you can get - lots of vegetables - onions, carrots, peppers, celery (Oops !), tomatoes, garlic (whatever, but not Aubergine !) - all diced (not too small) - add some wine (shades of Guinness) to stop “stodgy” ! Some Herbs & “Spices” - sometimes I use a North African mixture “Raz el Hanout”, other times an Indian mix (hotter)
Shove it all in the oven (lowish, 150) about two/three hours or so - it will ”lurk” quite happily
For the meat eaters - a jar of “Confit” de Canard - can be heated up separately & served as a side dish - Oops ! “Meat” as a “side dish” !!!!!!!!!!!! (or added to the pot, with some of the duck fat !)) - and there is your main course, sufficient for 6/8 people
It is a very easy, trouble free thing to do and leaves you free to join in the party!
Regards & “Tcheerie” - Malcolm
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Hmmm, well I was speaking to the brother of somebody who entered this year and they were saying that someone had sneakily come round to his house and "spiked" his bean jar with carrots, which would then have to be removed in order to not get marked down... However I'm an entrant of the south show, not the West, so I'm happy to be corrected :)
Ahhh a classic Donkey pastime, arguing about beanjar recipes ;)
On the carrot note - The northern parishes such as vale, use carrot, the southern parishes do not. That is why the west show does not allow carrots in its bean jars during it's competition.
Mashing the beans - Personally I wouldn't, I actually strive to stop them mashing up during the process of cooking.
Just loved this thread. I use your version as a base for my own recipe. Your right to say that there is no real rule on bean jar as each family have their own preference when it comes to the ingredients. An experimental recipe of my own was to add a whole scotch bonnet chilli. Remove this at the end of cooking. It adds a fantastic warm zing without taking the roof of your mouth off. Some love it, some hate it but I guess that's bean jar.
I remember hearing tales of Syd James. The shirley bassey story story sticks in my mind from my father Dave Arnold who did summer seasons in the 60s and probably my sister Lisa from your youth?
the only thing different i do is to use a can of Guinnes or larger to the mixture and a few oxo cubes, best flavour in the world done this way :-)
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Just though I should point out that when you've soaked the beans you should THROW THAT WATER AWAY! Use fresh water to make it. Aren't you supposed to boil the beans too and throw that water? *worries*
Also a tip - rather than add cornflour to thicken it up, just mash some of the beans with a spud masher.
Carrots in beanjar is just wrong. And I speak as a vegetarian. And as for celery - WHY WOULD ANYONE DO SUCH A THING?
stayed a week in guernsey from the 8 may for liberation day and during the week we had beanjar it was wonderful,so thanks to your recipe we can now enjoy it on the mainland.
Who can forget Syd James - an "insitute" of Guernsey Summer Theatre !!!!!
Started making it on Thursday - lunch today with friends. As you say - beef or pork is better, but I had the shoulder of Lamb which needed using up !!!!! Went down well though, with my French friends !
Just a little "aside" if you like music, go to my site reynard.fr and you will see lots of info of music recorded in Guernsey "temps passée" (late 60's/70's) and by able to listen to some extracts
Malcolm
Just got one in the oven !!!!
Though this time I am using a small shoulder of lamb (it just went out of date in my local shop, here in Béziers, in the South of France. Here, there is a similar dish called "Cassoullet" - not the same though !!!! Just ordinary tiny Haricot beans - no onion, carrots etc. - just fatty meat and beans. Will be interesting to see how a lamb version turns out !!!! Recently in Guernsey and had "Bean Jar" at the Imperial - there speciallity - dreadfull !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Cheerie"
Tried it...........wonderful. I dont remember having such a nice bean jar in Guernsey!!! Great for Cape Town winters
Oh Misty ~ how I long for some Beanjar - thank you so much for this. You've made me homesick and it brings back memories of the Battle of Flowers down at Sausmarez Park; and also memories of Ormer Stew and Guernsey Gauche ... great hub, thanks so much!
In Portugal we have a very similar dish.
I am in a group that presently is studying the Guernsey culture. Would anyone share Guernsey recipes for appetizers and desserts?
Thanks.
I thinks it's wonderful that you have kept some of the Channel Island history alive by putting up the original bean jar on the internet for us all to share!
cheers :)
I am originally from Alderney and now live in Australia. I remember the wonderful taste of the "Alderney Bean Jar" very vividly. However now I make the quick version with pork, bacon, tin of butter beans, celery, onion, carrot & stock with a little flour for thickening. Cook for only 2.5 hours in oven makes a lovely casserole for the family.
A word of warning though, the side effects are lethal. Your duvet will hit the ceiling!
I must set some time aside over the weekend and try this recipe out Ms Cindy. Its sounds delicious and i like my beans and with your recipe which includes meat and vegetables I'm so curious to find out how it taste like. I will get back to you and tell you how it went by the end of the week. Thank you very much for sharing this delicacy Ms Cindy
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