Portuguese kale soup
Portuguese kale soup
This recipe is a Provincetown classic, inspired by the late Howard Mitcham, a Cape Cod cook and writer whose Provincetown Seafood Cookbook is an out-of-print treasure worth snatching up at any price. In this classic, Anthony Bourdain prefers to use kidney beans instead of white beans.
Ingredients
Cooking time: 180 min.
Preparation time: 20 min.
Total Time: 200 min.
Servings: 8
Prevents your screen from going dark.
2 cups dried red kidney beans
1 large ham hock, cut so the marrow escapes
4 quarts Dark Universal Stock
½ lb. Portuguese chouriço, cut into ¼” slices
1 pound linguiça sausage, cut into ¼” slices
2 bunches kale, center stem removed
Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
4- 5 med potatoes, peeled and cut into lg. pieces
Preparation
In a large, heavy-bottom stockpot, soak the kidney beans for 12 hours in plenty of cold water, or cover the dry beans with 4 cups of water and bring to a rapid boil. Cover the pot, remove from the heat, and let sit for 90 minutes undisturbed. Drain.
In a clean stockpot, combine the soaked and/or cooked and drained beans and the ham hock and cover with the stock. Add 1 quart water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hour, using a slotted spoon or ladle to skim off and discard any scum that rises to the surface. Add the chouriço, linguiça, and kale, and simmer for another hour. Add the potatoes, pepper flakes, and vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Simmer for at least another hour, adding more stock or water as needed to keep all the ingredients submerged. The longer the soup simmers, the better the flavor; Howard Mitcham calls for a minimum of 5 hours.