BLACK BEANS WITH SMOKED HAM HOCKS

EATING BEANS AND rice is a cross-cultural phenomenon for a reason. This smoky black-bean braise, for instance, is the sort of ur-comfort food a person from most anywhere would happily lay claim to.

The recipe, from chef Mashama Bailey, dates back to a time before she garnered acclaim at the Grey in Savannah, Ga. She was working in Manhattan restaurants and living with her grandmother. Some black beans and a ham hock she found in the kitchen inspired her to whip up something hearty and warming. “It was cold the day I first made this,” Ms. Bailey recalled. “My grandmother really enjoyed it. She said, ‘You’d think a little old Cuban lady was in here cooking these beans.’ ” Simple as the dish is, it’s important to start with a solid flavor base. “Bloom the aromatics gently in butter,” Ms. Bailey said. “Once the garlic stops smelling raw, add the liquids. If the garlic is still raw, or cooked too hard, I taste it.”

If you have time, let this stew an hour or more and skip the puréeing; the beans will break down and thicken the broth on their own. And it’s wise to double the batch. “This is really good left over,” Ms. Bailey said. It’s enough to make you hope for more cold weather. —Kitty Greenwald

TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes SERVES: 4

●1 smoked ham hock
●6 cups chicken stock
●2 tablespoons butter
●1 large yellow onion, diced
●2 cloves garlic, minced
●1 bay leaf
●1 teaspoon chile flakes
●1 green pepper, diced
●2 (16-ounce) cans lowsodium black beans,drained and rinsed well
●Kosher salt
●Olive oil,
●optional, to finish Cooked rice, to serve

1. Set a medium pot over high heat and add ham hock and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. In another medium pot over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in onions, garlic, bay leaf, chile flakes and green pepper.
Sauté until garlic is fragrant, 3-5 minutes.
2. Pour hot stock and ham hock into pot with sautéed aromatics. Add extra water if hock is not covered at least ¾ of the way. Add half the black beans to the pot. In a blender, purée remaining beans until smooth. Stir bean puree into pot and simmer until flavors meld, at least 25 minutes. Loosen with splashes of water or extra broth if necessary.
3. Before serving, season beans with salt and olive oil to taste, and simmer until salt dissolves, about 2 minutes more. Serve beans with ham sliced from hock, over rice

Enjoy your with cooking with your loved one

Sumber Koran: THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, Saturday/Sunday, March 17 - 18, 2018