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Jan's Pot of Beans

Source of Recipe


From "Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook & Kitchen Reader"






List of Ingredients



• 1 lb. mixed dried beans, picked over
  
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
  
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 2 cups chopped onions
  
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 Tbsp dried rosemary
  
• 1 Tbsp dried thyme
  
• 2 bay leaves
  
• 1 ham hock
  
• 1 Tbsp paprika
  
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  
• 2 tsp coarse sea salt
  
• Tabasco sauce to taste
  
• Chopped Vidalia onions, for serving
  






Instructions



1. Place the beans in a large stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a rolling boil. Cover the pot, turn off the heat, and let the beans sit for 1 hour. Drain the beans.
   
   
2. In the same stockpot, heat the butter and oil over medium heat and sauté the onions and garlic for 8 to 10 minutes, or until softened. Add the beans and enough fresh water to cover. Add the rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, ham hock, paprika and pepper. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, checking the beans often and adding water as necessary.
   
   
3. Remove the ham hock and add the sea salt (see note). Simmer another hour. Before serving, adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper and Tabasco. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with chopped onions. Serve with hot cornbread.
   
   Makes 6 to 8 servings.
   
   NOTE: Do not add the salt until after the beans are fully cooked; otherwise, they won't be as tender.
   
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   Cat's Note: The beans are good accompaned with --
   
   BUTTERMILK SCALLION SKILLET CORN BREAD
   
   • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
   • 6 scallions
   • 2 cups stone-ground yellow cornmeal
   • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
   • 4 tsp sugar
   • 1 Tbsp baking powder
   • 1 tsp baking soda
   • 2 tsp salt
   • 1 Tbsp vegetable shortening or rendered bacon fat
   • 4 large eggs
   • 2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
   
   Preheat the oven to 425º F. Melt butter and cool. Finely chop scallions.
   
   Into a bowl, sift together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Heat a dry well-seasoned 10-inch cast iron skillet in middle of oven 10 minutes. Put shortening or bacon fat in skillet and heat 5 minutes. Swirl skillet to coat.
   
   While skillet is heating, make batter: Separate eggs. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat yolks until pale and beat in butter and buttermilk. In a bowl with cleaned beaters, beat whites until they just hold stiff peaks. Stir flour mixture into yolk mixture and fold in whites and scallions gently but thoroughly. Pour batter into hot skillet and, working quickly, spread evenly. Bake corn bread in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Corn bread may be made 4 hours ahead and kept loosely covered, at room temperature.
   (Serves 8 to 10.)
   
   -- From Gourmet, January 1999