Ham Hocks And White Beans

• Ham hocks:
• 1 medium onion
• 3 whole cloves
• 10 cup water
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 6 smoked ham hocks (about 3 pounds)
• 4 bay leaves
• 3 cups coarsely chopped leek greens
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 thyme sprig
• Beans:
• 1 1/2 cups dried Great Northern or other small white beans
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 6 sun-dried tomato halves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups chopped leek bottoms
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Garnish:
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions

1. To prepare ham hocks, stud onion with cloves. Place onion, water, and next 8 ingredients (water through thyme sprig) in a stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 3 hours. Remove hocks from stock. Strain stock through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Cool stock to room temperature. Cover and chill hocks and stock separately 8 hours or overnight. Remove meat from bones; finely chop. Discard bones, skin, and fat. Skim solidified fat from surface of stock; discard fat. Reserve 4 cups stock.
2. To prepare beans, sort and wash beans; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans. Cover and let stand 8 hours or overnight. Drain.
3. Combine beans and reserved stock in a Dutch oven. Add chopped thyme, fennel seeds, marjoram, and tomato; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 1 hour and 15 minutes or until beans are tender.
4. While beans simmer, heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add leek bottoms, chopped onion, 1 cup carrot, 1/2 cup celery, and 2 garlic cloves; cover. Cook 10 minutes; stir occasionally. Add vegetable mixture, ham, ground pepper, and salt to bean mixture.
5. To prepare garnish, combine parsley, basil, and green onions; sprinkle over bean mixture.
6. Note that the beans should be moist, but not soupy.
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Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/ham-hocks-white-beans (may not work)