The Southern Question, in a bowl

Nothing really fancy, just a rewarding improvised soup for  a freak snowstorm. It was like this:

Light homemade broth (I needed to make some, anyhow.)

White beans that had gotten old and ornery, soaked overnight.

Rosemary.

Sidemeat.

Bunch Mustard greens

Bunch Turnip greens

Vermouth--candied country ham.

Parmesan rind (optional)

Cook beans, 6 slices sidemeat, and 4-5 rosemary sprigs in one pot, slow cooked for a long time until nearly done. Reserve and reduce beanwater by 75%

Brown 6 more slices sidemeat in big pot. Remove sidemeat. In rendered fat, cook chopped and rinsed greens until greens just collapse. Add beans, and 1-2 Q of stock, and maybe 1/2 c. of the candied ham. Cook til the beans seem about right. Serve with a loaf of crusty bread, possibly even a Sullivan St. quickie you made yourself. If you had started when you soaked the beans, you'd have bread started. (The past conditional does not get near enough play in cookbooks.)

This was satisfying, and even better the next day. In terms of ingredientness, it reaffirms the affinity of Southern and Italian ingredients and techniques. I am not aware of any serious cooks that work this seam, which is surprising. (Two boots me no two boots, please.)*

On the other hand, it is a luxury soup, in that it adds stock and another kind of meat to what is something like this Bittman prosciutto soup I've made and enjoyed in the past.

*In a perfect world, one could open an Italo-South fusion place somewhere deep on the Lower East Side, and call it The Southern Question. Or maybe this space will open up.

Comments

[Bachelor Party Invitations]

Great recipe, thank you for sharing. :)