Hearty white bean and potato stew

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 250 g beans, white, dried
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp, heaped thyme, dried
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 chili pepper(s), dried
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 bone (ham bone), smoked, with meat
• 250 g bacon, streaky smoked
• 500 g potatoes
• 400 g onion(s)
• Goose fat or other fat for frying
• Milk
• Meat broth or vegetable broth
• salt and pepper
• Vegetable broth, granulated

Instructions

Working time approx. 50 minutes; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Total time approx. 12 hours 50 minutes

with thyme, garlic, chili and smoked bacon

This stew can be prepared well in advance and finished in several stages. Soak the white beans the night before in enough, but not too much, water. The next day, boil the beans with salt, spices, the ham bone, and bacon until tender. It’s best to let the beans simmer uncovered for a while until the foam has subsided. Then, cover and cook until tender (even in a pressure cooker). Remove the ham bone and bacon from the pot, cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces, trim any remaining meat from the ham bone, and return the bacon and ham to the beans. It won’t harm the stew if the beans rest for a while after cooking. Dice the onions and potatoes, fry them in the goose fat until well browned, but do not brown. Then add stock until the vegetables are just covered, and simmer gently until tender. Mash some of the potatoes. Combine the beans and potatoes in a pot, stir, and add milk (or a mixture of milk and broth) until it’s not too runny. Heat together, then season generously with salt, pepper, and instant broth. If desired, add fried bacon or sausage. The stew can be left to stand for a while before serving; it’ll do just fine.