BLACK
BEAN SOUP:
2
cups dried black beans
12
cups cold water
2
leeks, white part, minced
1
stalk celery, minced+ 1/3 cup minced celery leaves
1
carrot, minced
3
tbsp. butter+ 1 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 lb.
smoked ham hocks
¼ cup
minced parsley
bouquet
garni—in a cheesecloth bag, put in:
1/8 tsp. mustard seed
2 bay leaves
10 peppercorns, cracked
4 cloves
1/3
cup medium-dry sherry
1
tbsp. salt
pepper
and cayenne pepper to taste
garnish
ingredients: ¼ cup each chopped green
onion, sauté bacon pieces, sieved hard-boiled egg yolk and egg white, minced
parsley, 8 thin slices of lemon
In a
large saucepan, cover dried black beans with 6 cups of water and let stand
overnight. Add 4 cups water and bring mixture to a boil over high heat. Cover
pot, reduce heat to medium low to simmer beans for 1 ½ hours.
In another
large heavy saucepan, melt butter over moderate heat and cook leeks, onion,
celery, celery leaves and carrot until vegetables are softened. Add flour and
cook the mixture, stirring, for 2 minutes over low heat. Stir in, ham hocks, minced parsley, the
bouquet garni bag, the beans and water mixture and 2 additional cups of water. Increase
heat to high and bring liquid to a boil; then simmer the mixture, covered, for
3 to 4 hours, adding more water if necessary, until the beans are very tender.
Remove
and discard bouquet garni bag. Transfer
ham hocks with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Let cool, then remove meat from the
bones, and set aside.
Use a
hand blender to puree the soup coarsely. If necessary, thin soup by adding more
water, until desired consistency. Stir in reserved meat and the sherry. Add
salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste. Heat through until it is very hot.
Transfer to a heated tureen and add garnish ingredients to serve.
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