West African Red Beans

Soak your beans overnight in plenty of cold water. If you've forgotten, chuck them in a pot with 2 litres of water, bring to a fierce boil for 3 minutes, then let them sit for an hour.

Drain the beans, put them back in the pot with fresh water, and bring to a boil. Add a quarter of your diced onions and simmer, lid slightly askew, for about an hour until tender but not falling apart.

Drain the beans properly and set aside. This is your foundation sorted.

Heat the palm oil in a large pan until it's shimmering but not smoking. If you're using palm oil, you'll get that proper orange colour that makes everything look right.

Sauté the remaining onions until they're soft and sweet, about 5 minutes. No browning needed here.

Add your crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, scotch bonnet, white pepper, and salt. Let this stew down, stirring regularly, until most of the liquid has cooked off and you've got a proper thick sauce base. (This tomato base is what we call the foundation in Nigerian cooking - get this right and everything else follows)

Fold in your cooked beans and let them warm through for 5-10 minutes, stirring gently so they don't break up. Taste and adjust your seasoning.