🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇭🇷 THE PERFECT JACKET POTATO + AJVAR BAKED BEANS 🥔🌶️

Welcome back to Flavours of the World Cup 🌍🏆

Today is a big day - it’s England’s first game at the tournament! 💪💪💪

We’re up against Croatia, and bringing together two foods that perfectly represent comfort food in their respective countries: the perfect jacket potato and Croatian-inspired ajvar baked beans 🌶️

Simple ingredients. Big flavours. Here we go …

Jacket potatoes are a British CLASSIC and, according to Angelica, the best way to cook them is to microwave them first and then finish them in the oven - roasting until crispy.

For the Croatian side of the dish, I used ajvar to elevate my baked beans. It’s a roasted red pepper spread often called “vegan caviar”. I picked up a jar from my local Turkish supermarket and stirred it through butter beans to create a Balkan-inspired version of baked beans. But it’s also nice and easy to make - I just didn’t have time 🤣

The result was a crispy but buttery soft jacket potato, smothered in a blanket of smoky, vibrant baked beans. Very comforting and ridiculously easy to make.

• 2 large baking potatoes

• 1 jar ajvar (find at your local Middle Eastern supermarket)

• 500g jarred butter beans (or use 2× 400g tins)

• Juice or ½ lemon

• 2 large knobs butter

• Good grating of cheese (I used plant-based cheddar)

• 2 spring onions, finely sliced

• Olive oil, salt + pepper

1. Prick your potatoes with a fork or knife. Microwave the potatoes for 5 minutes until softened.

2. Pre-heat your oven to 190 C fan (or air fry on roast setting). Season the potatoes with salt + pepper, then drizzle well with olive oil to fully coat. Wrap up in tin foil, then roast for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown + crisp on the outside, but soft + fluffy in the middle.

3. To make the beans, warm a splash of olive oil in a saucepan on a medium heat. Add the ajvar + gently warm for 2-3 minutes.

4. Stir through the butter beans, then cook gently on a medium-low heat for about 15 minutes or so while your potatoes bake. Season to taste with salt, pepper + lemon juice if you like.

5. Split the potatoes open, add the butter to melt and spoon over the ajvar beans. Finish with cheese and sliced spring onions.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England won the World Cup in 1966 and remains one of the most football-obsessed nations in the world. There are some wonderful players in this year’s squad - Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka to name but a few.

🇭🇷 Croatia has a population smaller than London but reached the World Cup final in 2018 and finished third in 2022. Don’t underestimate them!

For my dish rating, match prediction and full recipe video, head over to my socials!

See you tomorrow,

Alfie x