Soups: Bean & Ham Soup by Recipe Cottage

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	Bean & Ham Soup

		The base is the remains of a roasted ham, and the rest is, as they say, quite simple. This soup is made over two days, but less than 24 hours. Stock: (The overnight part) Bones and left over ham 8 cups water After supper, place the bone(s) and any meat you plan to use for the soup in a pot with about 8 cups of water. Add any drippings from the roasting pan, then deglaze roasting pan with some hot water and add to soup pot. (This adds extra flavour-flavour to the pot.) Bring to a boil and simmer for about 2-hours. Allow pot to cool well and place in refrigerator overnight. When ready to complete the soup - remove bone(s) and meat from pot, place in a bowl (any liquid that collects goes back in the pot). Skim all (read: "as much as you can") congealed fat and discard. Place pot over low heat, covered. The Fixings: 3-1/2 cups dried navy (or similar) beans 8 cups water salt (if desired) 1 medium to large onion, chopped fine 1 medium to large carrot, chopped fine 1 good rib celery, chopped fine meat from bones etc, chopped - coarse or fine, your call 1 (14 oz) can tomatoes - (add whole and break-up in pot or give a quick whirl in a blender or food processor) 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper (fresh ground if you have) pinch of cloves (optional) 1 Tbsp flour 1 Tbsp softened butter or margarine (oleo) In a separate pot, place beans and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, for 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare onions, carrots, celery and meat. Drain and rinse beans in a colander. Add beans, onion, celery, carrots tomatoes, salt and pepper to warming stock. Top-up liquid with water if required. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Make a paste of the flour and butter. Add to pot in little portions and stir down. Simmer for another 15 minutes, stirring often, as the soup thickens. Notes: I prefer this method (boil bones the night before) for two reasons. First, I'm not trying to remove meat from hot bones, and secondly, it is much easier to remove excess fat that is congealed. You get a much higher percentage than by floating chilled lettuce leaves, or using ice cubes in cheesecloth. The pinch of cloves adds a nice flavour, but - since I usually prepare my ham studded with cloves and then glazed with maple syrup (for the last hour) and adding the drippings - I have plenty of flavour in the stock right off the bat. I have used both Navy and Great Northern Beans - and now use a combination thereof, giving a sensory variety. Dumping the bean cooking water (and rinsing), reduces whatever the compounds are in the beans that generate flatulence. This is a good thing!