Soups
Black Calypso Bean Soup with Ham Bone
Sanglier Cellars
422 Healdsburg Avenue
Healdsburg, CA 95448
sangliercellars.com
- RECIPE YEAR: 2013
- RECIPE BY: Melissa Alexander
- YIELD: Serves 8
- PAIRS WELL WITH: Sanglier Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Beans and corn bread were family staples for my husband, winemaker Glenn Alexander, when he grew up in rural East Texas. Heirloom Rancho Gordo beans and abundant fresh herbs from our garden transform this simple farmer’s meal into a comforting and flavorful dish that complements our Pinot Noir.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups dried Rancho Gordo black calypso beans
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 large ham bone with scraps of meat attached
- 3 cups chicken broth
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
- Wine vinegar for garnish
- Warm corn bread for serving
Directions:
Place the beans in a pot with enough water to cover them by 2 inches and soak overnight. Alternatively, parboil the beans and soak for 1 hour. Drain and rinse the soaked beans and set aside. Put the thyme and parsley sprigs and bay leaf on a square of cheesecloth and tie the bundle securely with kitchen string. In a soup pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add the beans, cheesecloth bundle, ham bone, broth and enough cold water to cover the ingredients by about 1 inch. Reduce the heat and cook until the beans are meltingly soft, 2 to 3 hours, allowing the steam to vent. Remove the cheesecloth bundle and ham bone. Cut off and reserve any bits of meat still clinging to the bone and stir into the soup. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle cheese on top of the soup, and add a drizzle of olive oil and a drop of vinegar to each bowl. Serve with warm corn bread.
