Ham Hocks and White Beans

This dish may take a couple of days, but it is worth the time and effort. Chilling the stock overnight allows you to skim the fat. Similarly, refrigerating the ham hocks makes separating the meat from the fat easier. Soak the beans overnight while the stock and hocks chill. Serve with rice for an authentic Louisiana-style meal. Note that the beans should be moist, but not soupy.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup bean mixture and 1 tablespoon garnish)

Ingredients

• Ham hocks:
• 1  medium onion
• 3  whole cloves
• 10  cup  water
• 1  teaspoon  black peppercorns
• 6  smoked ham hocks (about 3 pounds)
• 4  bay leaves
• 3  cups  coarsely chopped leek greens
• 3  garlic cloves
• 2  celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• 1  carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1  thyme sprig
• 
  Beans:
• 1 1/2  cups  dried Great Northern or other small white beans
• 2  teaspoons  chopped fresh thyme
• 1  teaspoon  fennel seeds, crushed
• 1/2  teaspoon  dried marjoram
• 6  sun-dried tomato halves, chopped
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 2  cups  chopped leek bottoms
• 1 1/2  cups  chopped onion
• 1  cup  chopped carrot
• 1/2  cup  chopped celery
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 
  Garnish:
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh basil
• 2  tablespoons  finely chopped green onions

Preparation

To prepare ham hocks, stud onion with cloves. Place onion, water, and next 8 ingredients (water through thyme sprig) in a stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 3 hours. Remove hocks from stock. Strain stock through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Cool stock to room temperature. Cover and chill hocks and stock separately 8 hours or overnight. Remove meat from bones; finely chop. Discard bones, skin, and fat. Skim solidified fat from surface of stock; discard fat. Reserve 4 cups stock.

To prepare beans, sort and wash beans; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans. Cover and let stand 8 hours or overnight. Drain.

Combine beans and reserved stock in a Dutch oven. Add chopped thyme, fennel seeds, marjoram, and tomato; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 1 hour and 15 minutes or until beans are tender.

While beans simmer, heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add leek bottoms, chopped onion, 1 cup carrot, 1/2 cup celery, and 2 garlic cloves; cover. Cook 10 minutes; stir occasionally. Add vegetable mixture, ham, ground pepper, and salt to bean mixture.

To prepare garnish, combine parsley, basil, and green onions; sprinkle over bean mixture.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

366 (28% from fat)

Fat:

11.5g (sat 3.6g,mono 5.5g,poly 1.3g)

Protein:

23.5g

Carbohydrate:

40.1g

Fiber:

11.7g

Cholesterol:

46mg

Iron:

4.5mg

Sodium:

402mg

Calcium:

137mg