Chef Scott Peacock (https://www.chefscottpeacock.com/) remains one of the most inspirational and influential giants of the Southern kitchen. From his legendary Watershed restaurant to his collaborations with the legendary Edna Lewis and now with his famous Biscuit Experience in Marion, Alabama, Scott keeps the flame alive with recipes like this soup, made for Soup month here at Rancho Gordo.
- 1 pound uncooked Rancho Gordo Moro Beans
- 1 large ham hock of excellent quality (if not using a ham hock, you can use chicken or vegetable stock to flavor the stew)
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cups diced onion
- 4 large garlic cloves, green germ removed and thinly sliced
- 3 fresh bay leaves
- A good pinch of dried thyme
- 1/2-3/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 28-oz can whole tomatoes (fire-roasted are nice), drained
- 2 1/2 cups cooked, drained Rancho Gordo White Corn Posole/Prepared Hominy
- 5 cups peeled, diced sweet potatoes (diced into 1-inch chunks)
- Beef tallow (or olive oil) and butter for sautéing the sweet potatoes
- 1 small bunch fresh turnip greens (or personal greens of choice), carefully washed and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 8 cups)
Serves 8 (with likely leftovers)
- Rinse the Moro beans and set aside.
- Place the ham hock in a large Dutch oven and cover with 1 gallon of water. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. Cook at a low simmer, partially (mostly) covered, for about an hour.
- Add the Moro beans and bring to a full boil, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Reduce to a low simmer and cook partially covered for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
- While the beans are cooking, warm the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the chopped onion, season generously with salt, and cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the sliced garlic, bay leaves, Aleppo pepper, dried thyme, and a few coarse grinds of black pepper. Continue cooking over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, taking care not to brown the onions. Add the whole drained tomatoes, a good sprinkle of salt, and stir well. Simmer gently for 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking the tomatoes into large chunks as you stir. Taste carefully for seasoning and set aside.
- At this point, the ham hock in the bean pot should be quite tender. Remove it and set aside until cool enough to handle. Then peel and shred the hock into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
- Add the onion and tomato mixture to the beans and stir well. Cook at a low simmer until the beans are just tender.
- Meanwhile, sauté the sweet potatoes in a large skillet over medium heat in a mixture of tallow (or olive oil) and butter. Season well with salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and a large pinch of sugar. Cook until tender and caramelized, and set aside.
- Add the shredded ham hock back to the beans along with the cooked hominy and simmer gently for 10-20 minutes, tasting for seasoning as the flavors blend and mellow.
- Stir in the turnip greens and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 or so minutes, and add in the caramelized sweet potatoes. I like to give the soup another gentle simmer to integrate the flavors and find that a rest before serving helps greatly to ripen and improve the flavors.
- I like to serve this with crusty cornbread. A splash of vinegar or Outerbridges Sherry Pepper Sauce can be nice on top at serving, but really I do not think it needs any gilding.