Saturday, March 04, 2006
Friday Feast - One Day Late
OK, OK, So this is a day late. Honestly, it's not a recipe' you would make on a weekday, unless you are home all day. So, Saturday or Sunday is a better time to do this one.
When your own mother, who is an outstanding cook, asks you to make soup for her, you know you are on to something.
Lauren's Killer Bean Soup
Shopping List:
1lb. dried great northern beans
2 medium-sized smoked ham shanks or 3 large hamhocks
1 qt. chicken stock (stock, not broth)
2 cups veggie stock (see secondary recipe' below) *
1 1/2 cups coarsly chopped onion
1/2 cup fine chopped green onion or chives (set aside for later)
1 12 oz. can V8 juice
2 tblsp. minced or crushed garlic
1 tblsp. yellow mustard
1 1/2 tsp. coarse black pepper
1 tsp. brown sugar (molasses is a good choice too)
1 tsp. ground Cumin
1 tblsp. dried (or fresh) cilantro
2 tsp. dried (or fresh) Thyme
2 cups of your favorite white wine
Rinse and sort beans by hand (small pebbles sometimes get past the sorting machine. We don't need a trip to the dentist). Add beans to a large soup pot.
Score the rind on the shanks/hocks with a knife and add to pot.
Add 3 cups chicken stock , 2 cups veggie stock and 1 cup cold water. Add the onions (except the fine chopped), garlic, pepper and herbs. Bring the ingrediets to a GENTLE rolling boil, reduce heat, cover a let cook for 2 hours. Add more water or veggie stock if needed. A vigorous boil will kill the flavor very quickly.
Drink 1 cup of the white wine.
Remove the shanks/hocks and remove the meat from the bones and rind. Chop ham into coarse pieces and return to the pot. By now, your kitchen smells wonderful and your tummy should be growling. Add the mustard, and 1/2 tsp brown sugar. Cover and cook for another 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Personally, I like a hint of sweet and garlic.
Add the V8 juice. The soup should be starting to thicken as the beans break down. To thicken the soup even more, you can remove the lid and cook uncovered for a while. You'll need to turn the heat up slightly if you do this.
Drink the other cup of wine. . .
When the beans are tender, adjust the seasonings again and add a SMALL amount of salt if needed. There should already be plenty of salt from the chicken stock and shanks/hocks.
Serve with chopped green onion as a garnish and a pan of fresh cornbread or garlic toast. Enjoy!!!
* Veggie Stock
It is nearly impossible to find veggie stock in stores. Even if you do, it's loaded with salt. Here's an easy way to make your own and it costs almost nothing!!!
Save potato and carrot peelings, onion skins, mushroom stems, leftover cooked veggies and whatever in a ZipLock bag in the freezer. Avoid whole potatos, since they will make the stock very starchy. Use cabbage and brussel sprouts sparingly too, since they will overpower the stock. DO NOT use beets, you'll have really bloody looking stock. Hint: I buy the "reduced for quick sale" veggies that don't look great but are still fine to eat. Smash a few cloves of garlic, add extra onion and a cup or two of fresh frozen corn, green beans, carrots, whatever you like.
When you have enough to fill a 12 qt. soup pot, add veggies and then water to 2 inches below the top of the pot. Don't worry if they aren't all covered, this will cook down a lot.
Bring water up just short of boiling and simmer for 1 1/2 hours on low. DO NOT allow this to boil, or you'll have 8 qts. of garbage. The idea is to STEEP the veggies.
Remove solids with a slotted spoon (this makes great natural fertilizer for your garden. . . OK, that was a little too "Martha" for me too LOL!!!) and discard. The stock should have a very robust flavor. Divide into small containers and freeze. The stock will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. You'll find many ways to use it in many dishes.
Enjoy!!!
Posted by Lauren ::
5:36 PM ::
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