Recipes from the Road: Savoy Cabbage in Smoked Pork Broth

From Jimmy’s No. 43
Serves many, many people

Here’s another soup from Littlefield – albeit one that went unphotographed. So in lieu of a soup shot, here’s our gorgeous lineup of cooks again: Raquel, Cathy, Dave, and Caroline, with foxy Alexis, from Jimmy’s No. 43, at the far end. She’s another repeat cook, having ladled up a creamy onion soup at the Bell House in 2010. She turned up this year with a pot of this massively flavorful concoction, and wasn’t afraid to wash it down with a shot of tequila.

Ingredients
Stock:
2 pounds slab bacon
2 gallons chicken stock
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 onions, peeled and sliced
1 head garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
½ bunch thyme
½ bunch tarragon
1 tablespoon juniper
6 bay leaves
1 sprig rosemary

Preparation

Place in stock pot and simmer for 2 ½ hours:

Remove bacon, reserve, chill, and cut into lardons for garnish. Set aside. Strain stock and reserve.

Ingredients
Soup:
½ cup bacon fat
3 carrots, peeled, halved and sliced into thin half moons
3 onions, peeled quartered and sliced thinly
15 cloves garlic, sliced thinly against the grain
3 cups white wine
2  pounds diced ham
1 pound beer sausage, sliced on bias
all the reserved stock
salt and pepper to taste
3 heads Savoy cabbage, stemmed and cut in large dice

Preparation
Saute bacon fat, carrots, onion, and garlic in stock pot until just soft. Add wine, ham, sausage, and reserved stock. Season to taste and return to a simmer. Add cabbage. Simmer and adjust seasoning, then COOL AND STORE!!!

To serve: Reheat, then add five lardons per serving and sprinkle each bowl with 5-6 tarragon leaves and a teaspoon of chives. Serve with bread or a crostini drizzled with olive oil and garlic.