Ham Hocks and White Beans

Ingredients

• 4  bay leaves 
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns black
• 1  carrots coarsely chopped
• 1 cup carrots chopped
• 0.5 cup celery chopped
• 2  celery stalks coarsely chopped
• 0.5 teaspoon marjoram dried
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds crushed
• 2 tablespoons basil fresh chopped
• 2 tablespoons parsley fresh chopped
• 2 teaspoons thyme leaves fresh chopped
• 2  garlic cloves minced
• 3  garlic cloves 
• 1.5 cups great northern dried white
• 2 tablespoons green onions finely chopped
• 2 cups leek bottoms chopped
• 3 cups leek greens coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 medium onion 
• 1.5 cups onion chopped
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 3 pounds ham hocks smoked
• 6  sun-dried tomato halves chopped
• 1  thyme sprig 
• 10 cup water 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• pot
• sieve
• dutch oven

Directions

1. To prepare ham hocks, stud onion with cloves.
2. Place onion, water, and next 8 ingredients (water through thyme sprig) in a stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 3 hours.
3. 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.
4. Remove meat from bones; finely chop. Discard bones, skin, and fat. Skim solidified fat from surface of stock; discard fat. Reserve 4 cups stock.
5. 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.
6. Drain.
7. Combine beans and reserved stock in a Dutch oven.
8. 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.
9. While beans simmer, heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
10. Add leek bottoms, chopped onion, 1 cup carrot, 1/2 cup celery, and 2 garlic cloves; cover. Cook 10 minutes; stir occasionally.
11. Add vegetable mixture, ham, ground pepper, and salt to bean mixture.
12. To prepare garnish, combine parsley, basil, and green onions; sprinkle over bean mixture.