Brothy Beans, Preserved Lemon, Bacon & Chard
With a poached egg and lots of dill
With a poached egg and lots of dill
If you’re feeling a little under the weather (or if you’re not)… I’ve got a nourishing and warming dish for you to try. This works well for any meal of the day: I just had it as an early dinner but would be happy to eat this as a weekend brunch or lunch any day of the week. This starts off by simmering your favorite chicken broth and gradually adding in a few simple elements like garlic, beans and chard, poaching an egg and topping it all off with some champagne vinegar or a spicy vin like this one that I used, followed by a drizzle of fermented hot sauce or any other hot pepper-based sauce you’ve got on hand: I love this one right now. Something to note: I generally dial back the amount of herbs I show in the photo so you can see what’s going on in the dish, so feel free to pile this high with lots more dill. Serves two, takes 30 minutes.
Ingredients:
2 cups bouillon chicken broth or any other chicken broth you like
1 can of cannellini/great white northern beans, drained
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2-3 large rainbow chard leaves, torn into 1-inch pieces with stem and inner rib removed
2-3 Tbsp preserved lemon, roughly chopped (about 1/4 of a small one)
2 strips thick-cut bacon
Two eggs for poaching
Freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt
For Serving
4 tablespoons fresh dill, roughly chopped or torn
Champagne vinegar, your favorite spicy vinegar, fermented hot sauce, or other hot sauce
Flaky salt
Directions:
Start by adding the broth to a saucepan over low heat and season with ground black pepper and salt to taste. You may be using a low/high sodium broth so add salt accordingly: you might not need much.
Add the sliced garlic cloves to the broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, 10-15 minutes. Once simmering and the garlic has begun to soften, add beans to the broth. Continue to simmer lightly for another 10 minutes, adjusting the flame if needed.
Meanwhile, heat a cast-iron over medium, 4-5 minutes, then add two strips of bacon. Season with ground black pepper and sear for 2-3 minutes on both sides until deeply browned and caramelized, then remove from heat and set aside, reserving the rendered fat. Once slightly cooled, roughly chop into 1-inch pieces.
Poach your egg: place a large pot filled with 3 inches of water over medium-high, 10 mins: once lightly simmering, turn the heat down to medium and add a splash of vinegar. Crack your egg into a small ramekin, then create a whirlpool in the pot with a slotted spoon, and drop your egg into the center. Let cook for 3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon. Set aside and repeat with your second egg, and season each with a pinch of flaky salt.
Finally, add the rainbow chard to the brothy beans and give the pan a good stir. Let simmer for 4 minutes. Pour any of the rendered bacon fat into the pan, then divide into 2 bowls.
Top with the poached egg and bacon, a splash of champagne vinegar (or your favorite spiced vinegar), your favorite hot sauce, the preserved lemon, and lots of fresh dill. Add a pinch of flaky salt if you think it needs it. Enjoy!