British-Style Beans on Toast

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry navy beans
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 1/2 cups tomato puree
• 6 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
• 8 slices sourdough bread
• Chopped parsley, to garnish

Directions

1. Put the beans in a large bowl and pour in 1 gallon cold water. Sprinkle in 1/4 cup kosher salt, stir until it dissolves, and leave the bowl on the counter overnight. The next day, tip the beans into a colander to drain.
2. Set a large dutch oven with a tight lid over medium-high heat and warm the vegetable oil until it glints. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook, moving them around often, until they soften without taking on color, about 4 minutes. Add the drained navy beans. Stir in the brown sugar, then the molasses, then the Worcestershire sauce, then the cider vinegar, then the tomato paste; tuck in the bay leaves, pour in the tomato puree, and add 4 cups chicken stock.
3. Let the pot come to a simmer, put on the lid, and turn the heat down to low. Cook the beans, giving them a stir now and then, until tender, about 5 hours; if they seem dry along the way, pour in more stock. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper.
4. Toast the bread, spoon a generous helping of beans over each piece, and finish with chopped parsley if you like.