Bean soup with tarragon and pork knuckle

In Stratford I found an excellent butchery. They have excellent meat, always fresh. And also smoked ribs, smoked bacon, smoked PORK KNUCKLE!!! Wooow, I was soooo happy!!!! Finally a real, nice, smoked pork knuckle for a beautiful bean soup with tarragon.

Ingredients: pork knuckle, (or any kind of smoked meat), 250 g 3 beans, 1 small white onion, 1 carrot, 1 parsley root, 1 celery stalk, pickled tarragon, salt.

Usually I prepare it with red beans, which I put to soak a night before cooking. In the morning I wash the pork knuckle and in a big sauce pan, start to cook it in cold water. Meanwhile I start to cook the beans also. I always cook them separately, to release the gases. Always start to cook them in cold water, but never add cold water during cooking period. Only boiling water, if needed.

When the beans are almost ready, I sieve them, and add it to the pan in which I cook the pork knuckle. I clean and chop the carrots, parsley, celery stalk and add them together with a whole white onion, which I will throw in the pan in the end.

Don’t season it with salt. Only when you finished cooking. The smoked meat can be too salty, maybe you won’t need to season it at all.

Add the pickled tarragon. If you have fresh one, then add some vinegar, after your taste.

This is a soup what we eat with a lot of red onions and sour cream!!!

You must try it!! It is priceless!!