The Review - FOOD AND DRINK - Cooking with CLARE Published: 1st August 2008
Clare Latimer's recipe for
Ham and bean potage
Ham and bean potage
This is a lovely creamy soup and great at this time of year using fresh broad beans. At other times of year you can use frozen broad beans, which are nearly as good and easier to prepare.
Ingredients
Serves 4
50g butter
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 sprigs lemon thyme, or thyme
2 bay leaves
1 litre vegetable stock
1 ham hock
500g broad beans, after podding
Freshly ground black pepper
Handful mint and parsley, chopped finely
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Little olive oil.
Method
Put the butter into a heavy-based large saucepan and add the onion and garlic.
Cook gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and then add the lemon thyme and bay leaves.
Pour in the vegetable stock and add the ham hock. Bring to the boil and then cover and simmer for one hour.
Add the broad beans, reserving about 12 beans for garnish. Take the skin off these beans. Continue to cook covered for a further 15 minutes.
Remove the ham hock, skin and leave to cool. Put the rest into a blender and whiz until smooth and creamy.
Shred the ham off the bone and put the flesh back into the soup.
Reheat when ready to serve. Check the seasoning, pour into serving bowls and then sprinkle over the few whole beans along with the chopped mint and parsley, and the lemon rind.
Finally drizzle over a little olive oil.
Yum.