Baked beans straight from the tin can taste bland and uninspiring, but BOSH chef Ian Theasby has shared a simple ingredient that transforms them into something rich and satisfying
Baked beans remain a British comfort food classic, whether piled onto a full English or simply slathered on toast. Yet straight from the can, even the best-known brands can seem a touch bland and lacklustre.
Audience writer Shania King-Soyza was keen to find out whether there’s a quick trick to boost their flavour and replicate the taste you’d get at a decent café or restaurant.
To mark the launch of their newest cookbook, More Plants, she turned to Ian Theasby, one half of the plant-based cooking duo BOSH (alongside Henry Firth), for his simple hack to upgrade the taste.
Ian revealed an easy addition that demands barely any extra work, turning ordinary baked beans into something far more flavoursome and satisfying, reports The Express.
So, what’s the magic ingredient for baked beans?
Ian said: “What I will say is, there’s Henderson’s relish. Have you ever heard of it? So, Henderson’s relish is like Worcester sauce.
“Worcester sauce is a great thing, too, but I don’t eat Worcester sauce because of shellfish inside it. But there’s a plant-based version called Henderson’s relish.”
He explained: “And if you just had some Heinz baked beans in a pan, not a microwave, because you want to sort of cook down the sauce for a little bit to sort of activate the sugars inside and to thicken it up a little bit.
“But if you get a little splash of Henderson’s relish and a little bit of black pepper… and bang that on some nice buttered sourdough toast, it’s a fantastic meal. It’s basically like all you need.
“Whenever I go back to Sheffield, and my mum’s like, ‘Oh, do you want some lunch?’ I’m like, ‘Yep.’ And she knows exactly what I want. And she’ll just make some beans on toast.”
What other alternatives exist?
Ian’s also singing the praises of BOSH’s Nooch traditional yeast seasoning. This dormant yeast is a naturally derived product grown on molasses.
The nutritional yeast provides an easy way to add a cheesy flavour to dishes, including baked beans on toast. BOSH seasonings, nutritional yeast included, are stocked at several supermarkets, such as Sainsbury’s, Ocado and Morrisons.
It can also be ordered via Amazon. The plant-based brand BOSH launched over a decade ago and has built up an impressive following of one million on Instagram plus 166,700 on TikTok.
Celebrating their 10-year anniversary, the pair have launched their eighth cookbook, More Plants, with Ian proclaiming: “It’s their best one yet.”
More Plants showcases 90 plant-based recipes, all ready in less than 30 minutes and intended to be straightforward, nourishing and satisfying.
The book champions fibre, vegetables, beans, grains and taste, with dishes designed to support everyday health without being restrictive.
