Best White Bean And Ham Stew Recipes

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HAM HOCK AND WHITE BEAN STEW



Ham Hock and White Bean Stew image

If you can't find corona or gigante beans for this stew, use smaller white ones like cannellini. Keep in mind that they'll cook a lot faster, so give the ham a 30-minute head start.

Provided by Claire Saffitz

Categories     Bon Appétit     Dinner     Stew     Soup/Stew     Ham     Pork     Bean     Garlic     White Wine     Wine     Thyme     Mustard     Shallot     Winter

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

Frizzled shallots:
3 medium shallots, thinly sliced into rings
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Kosher salt
Honey-Mustard Cream:
1/2 cup sour cream
3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp. honey
Freshly ground black pepper
Stew and assembly:
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, halved through root ends
2 heads of garlic, halved crosswise
2 small carrots, trimmed, scrubbed
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 lb. smoked ham hocks (about 4 medium)
1 bunch of thyme, stems tied together with kitchen twine
2 cups corona or gigante beans, soaked overnight, drained
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
Chopped cornichons and/or dill sprigs (for serving; optional)

Steps:

  • Frizzled Shallots:
  • Heat shallots and oil in a small saucepan over medium, swirling often, until shallots are deep golden brown, 6-8 minutes. Pour into a fine-mesh sieve set over a heatproof measuring glass. Give sieve a good shake, then spread out shallots on a paper towel to drain. Season with salt; let cool.
  • Honey-Mustard Cream:
  • Stir sour cream, mustard, and honey in a small bowl until smooth; season with pepper. Cover and chill.
  • Stew and assembly:
  • Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Cook onions and garlic, cut side down, and carrots, turning carrots occasionally, until cut sides of onions and garlic are golden, about 4 minutes. Add wine, stirring to release any bits stuck on bottom of pot, and cook until reduced by two-thirds, about 2 minutes. Add ham hocks, thyme, beans, and 9 cups water. Season with several pinches of salt and lots of pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid, leaving slightly askew so steam can escape, and cook, adjusting heat to maintain a very gentle simmer and skimming foam from surface as needed, until beans are tender and creamy and broth is very flavorful, 2-2 1/2 hours.
  • Remove pot from heat and transfer ham hocks to a cutting board. Let sit until cool enough to handle, then pull meat from bones and tear into bite-size pieces; discard fat, skin, and cartilage. Add meat and knuckle bones back to pot as you go. Let stew cool uncovered until no longer steaming. Cover pot and chill stew at least 12 hours (you can skip this step, but it will dramatically improve the flavor).
  • Gently reheat stew, covered, until barely simmering. Pluck out and discard bones, thyme, and garlic heads (don't worry about any cloves that may have escaped into stew). Season with more salt and pepper if needed. Ladle into bowls and serve with Frizzled Shallots, Honey-Mustard Cream, cornichons, and/or dill as desired.
  • Do Ahead
  • Cream can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Stew can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.

WHITE BEAN-AND-HAM STEW



White Bean-and-Ham Stew image

Categories     Bean     Ham     Soup/Stew     Winter     Dinner     Stew

Number Of Ingredients 11

4 meaty smoked ham hocks (about 3 1/2 pounds)
1/2 pound dried cannellini or borlotti beans (1 1/4 cups), picked over and rinsed
3 quarts water
2 medium red-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large celery rib, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large carrot, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large parsnip, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 pound Savoy cabbage, cut into 2-inch pieces
8 slices 1/4-inch thick peasant bread, lightly toasted
2 cups shredded Gruyere or Comte cheese

Steps:

  • In a large pot, combine the smoked ham hocks with the cannellini beans and water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour.
  • Add the potatoes, leek, celery, carrot, parsnip, cabbage, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover the stew and simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Transfer the ham hocks to a plate. Simmer the stew uncovered over medium heat until thickened and the beans and vegetables are very tender, about 45 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, discard the skin and bones from the hocks and cut meat into bite-size pieces. Add the meat to the stew as it simmers. Season the stew with freshly ground black pepper.
  • Preheat the broiler.
  • Ladle the hot stew into 8 heatproff soup bowls and place the bowls on a large cookie sheet. Cover each bowl with a toast and spread the cheese on top. Broil 4 inches from the heat, rotating the bowls as necessary until the cheese is lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
  • Serve right away.
  • MAKE AHEAD: The stew can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat thoroughly, adding a little stock or water if necessary before topping and broiling.

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