Jamaican rice & peas with fresh coconut

Method

1. Soak the beans in filtered or cooled boiled water from the kettle, overnight if possible, adding the onion and whole garlic clove halfway through (yes, I have woken up in the night to put onion and garlic in my beans). Drain, discard the onion and garlic and tip the beans into a heavy pot or casserole.
2. Add the pimento berries and sliced garlic and cover everything with boiling water. Simmer over a low heat for 45 minutes, then add the spring onions and red pepper and simmer until the beans are cooked. Don’t let them get too soft; they should smell sweet and creamy.
3. Pour just enough hot water over the creamed coconut to dissolve, then add to the beans. You can add more or less if you prefer; I find too much coconut cream makes the rice greasy. Add the thyme, soy sauce, whole Scotch bonnet, fresh coconut and ginger and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Then fish out and discard the whole Scotch bonnet. Wash the rice and, once it is free of starch, add it to the beans and stir with a fork. Add about 1 litre water and the coconut oil. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook, covered, over a low heat (or in the oven at 160°C) until the rice is soft and fluffy, checking on the water levels but without stirring. Enjoy!