Garbure

Name: Garbure
Cook time: 190 min
Total time: 190 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 300g Dried Tarbais Beans, or other white beans; soaked overnight and drained; 2 l Cold Water, or light chicken stock; 2 Duck Confit (Legs)s; 1 small Smoked Ham Hocks, about 600 g; 1 small Green Cabbages, cored and thickly sliced; 3 Leeks, white and light green parts; sliced; 3 Carrots, peeled and cut into chunks; 4 medium Waxy Potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks; 2 Turnips, peeled and cut into chunks; 1 large Onions, chopped; 4 cloves of Garlic, sliced; 2 stalks of Celery, cut into chunks; 2 tbsp Duck Fat; 1 Bouquet Garnis, 2 bay leaves, 4 thyme sprigs, 6 parsley stems, tied; 1 tsp Pepper (Black), freshly ground; 6 slices of Country Bread; Some Salt, to taste; add judiciously; meats are salty

Garbure is a hearty, rustic southwestern French stew of creamy white beans, shredded duck confit and smoky ham, simmered with root vegetables and cabbage until meltingly tender. It’s a comforting one-pot meal that’s earthy, savory and perfect served with crusty bread rubbed with garlic and a spoonful of duck fat.

Garbure is a hearty, rustic southwestern French stew of creamy white beans, shredded duck confit and smoky ham, simmered with root... Show more

Traditional French Recipe

Health Grade

A- · Excellent

Time

3 hrs

Price

2,30 €

Calories

729 kcal

healthy

one pot

low carb

low sugar

Method

Soak the beans

Pick through the dried Tarbais beans, discarding any stones or shriveled beans, then rinse them well. Put them in a large bowl, cover with plenty of cold water by several inches, and let them soak overnight.

Drain the beans

Drain the soaked beans and rinse them once more. Set them aside while you prepare the rest of the garbure.

Wash the vegetables

Rinse the green cabbage, leeks, carrots, waxy potatoes, turnip, onion, garlic, and celery. Split the leeks lengthwise before washing so you can rinse out any grit tucked between the layers.

Prep the vegetables

Core and thickly slice the cabbage. Trim the leeks and slice the white and light green parts. Peel the carrots and cut them into chunks. Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks. Peel the turnip and cut it into chunks. Peel and chop the onion, peel and slice the garlic, and cut the celery into chunks. Tie the bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and parsley stems into a bouquet garni.

Brown the meats

Heat a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the duck fat. When it is hot, add the duck confit legs and the smoked ham hock. Brown them for about 5 minutes, turning once or twice, until the duck skin looks lightly crisp and the ham hock picks up a little color. Transfer the duck confit to a plate, but leave the ham hock in the pot.

Soften the aromatics

Add the chopped onion, sliced garlic, and celery to the pot. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring often and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom, until the onion is soft and lightly golden.

Simmer the base

Add the drained beans, the cold water (or light chicken stock, if that's what you're using), the bouquet garni, and the black pepper to the pot with the ham hock. Bring everything to a boil, then lower the heat to a very gentle simmer. Partially cover and cook for 60 minutes, skimming off any foam in the first few minutes, until the beans have started to soften but are not fully tender yet.

Add the vegetables

Stir in the cabbage, leeks, carrots, potatoes, and turnip. Nestle the browned duck confit legs back into the pot. Continue to simmer, partially covered, for 45–60 minutes, until the beans are fully tender, the vegetables are soft but still holding their shape, and the ham hock meat is loosening from the bone. Start checking at 45 minutes.

Shred and season

Lift out the ham hock, duck legs, and bouquet garni. Discard the herb bundle. Pull the meat from the ham hock and duck, discarding the bones, any tough skin, and excess fat, then return the meat to the pot. Taste the broth and add salt only if needed, since the meats are already quite salty. Let the garbure simmer for 10 minutes more so everything comes together.

Let it settle

Turn off the heat and let the garbure rest for 10 minutes. This brief rest helps the broth settle and gives the flavors a chance to round out.

Serve with bread

Toast or warm the country bread if you like. Ladle the garbure into deep bowls and serve the bread alongside, or place a slice in each bowl and spoon the hot soup over it for a more traditional rustic presentation.