White Bean Stew
Making this slightly smoky bean stew is very easy: Just sauté vegetables: add water, ham hock and beans; then let everything simmer. Mixing in a garlic mayonnaise and bitter greens at the table provides additional flavor and depth.
Ingreadients :
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1 carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
- 6 cups water
- 1 large smoked ham hock
- 1/2 pound dried white beans, such as Great Northern or navy, soaked overnight and drained
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Sautéed Mustard Greens and Garlic Mayonnaise, for serving
Step by Step :
- In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, celery, carrot, onion, bay leaf and thyme and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the water, ham hock and drained beans and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Remove the ham hock from the stew and chop the meat; discard the bones, skin and gristle. Discard the bay leaf. Add the ham hock meat to the beans, season with salt and pepper and serve with Sautéed Mustard Greens and Garlic Mayonnaise.
