Garbure

Garbure Béarnaise (Gascon Cabbage Soup)

A hearty cabbage, bean and potato stew from southwestern France, enriched with duck confit or ham and thick enough to stand a spoon in. Traditionally ladled over a slice of stale bread in the bowl.

Prep

30 min

Cook

150 min

Total

180 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •400 g (14 oz) dried white beans (haricots lingots or coco beans), soaked overnight
• •1 small green cabbage, about 1 kg / 2¼ lb, cored and shredded
• •300 g (10½ oz) potatoes, waxy type, peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks
• •2 whole duck confit legs, or 400 g / 14 oz smoked ham hock or thick bacon (poitrine)
• •2 whole onions, peeled and sliced
• •2 whole carrots, peeled and sliced
• •4 cloves garlic, crushed
• •1 bouquet bouquet garni, thyme, bay leaf and parsley stalks tied together
• •150 g (5½ oz) salt pork or lardons, optional, for extra depth
• •2 tbsp duck fat or olive oil, or null
• •2 l (3½ pints) water or light chicken stock, or null
• •1 tsp salt, to taste, adjust after cooking
• •1 pinch black pepper, freshly ground
• •6 slices stale country bread, for serving

Steps

1. 1 Soak the dried beans in cold water overnight (or at least 8 hours). Drain and rinse before use.
2. 2 If using a ham hock, place it in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour until the meat is tender enough to pull from the bone. Shred the meat and reserve the cooking liquid. If using duck confit, leave it for later.
3. 3 In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, melt the duck fat over medium heat. Add the salt pork or lardons if using and cook for 4–5 minutes until lightly coloured.
4. 4 Add the onions and carrots and cook gently for 8–10 minutes until softened but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
5. 5 Add the drained beans, potatoes, shredded cabbage, bouquet garni, and the ham cooking liquid (or water/stock). The liquid should just cover the vegetables; add more if needed.
6. 6 Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are completely tender.
7. 7 If using duck confit, add the legs to the pot for the last 45 minutes of cooking so the meat warms through and loosens from the bone. Remove the legs, shred the meat off the bone, and return the meat to the pot.
8. 8 Remove the bouquet garni. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. The stew should be thick; if too loose, simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes to reduce.
9. 9 To serve, place a slice of stale bread in each bowl and ladle the hot garbure over it. Traditionally the broth is served first, then the solids in a second helping.