Fava Bean Velouté with Braised Pork Belly

Ingredients

Yield:

6 cups

• Ingredients for the soup

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons white onions (diced)
  • 1/2 cup fava beans (shelled – fresh or frozen)
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon marjoram (dried)
  • 3/4 cups carrots (cubes)
  • 1/2 cups potatoes (cubes)
  • 3 tablespoons 35% cream
  • 2 tablespoon shallots (chopped)

• Ingredients for the Pork Belly

  • 1 kg pork belly
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2½ cups carrots, celery, onions mix in large cubes
  • 16 oz. red wine
  • 16 oz. veal stock
  • 2 thyme branches

Preparation

Difficulty:

Medium

 

Total Time:

2.5 Hours

1. Directions for the soup

   1. In a large stock pot, over medium heat; brown the onions in the vegetable oil.
   2. Add the fava beans and cook for an additional 5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.
   3. Add the chicken stock, marjoram and cook for 1 hour.
   4. Add the diced carrots, diced potatoes and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
   5. Add the cream and simmer for an additional 15 minutes, then purée the soup with a hand mixer.
   6. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
   7. Serve with a piece of crisp pork belly in the center and sprinkle with chopped parsley and shallots.

2. Directions for the Pork Belly

   1. Score the fatty part of the pork belly in a crisscross pattern and season liberally with salt and pepper.
   2. In a large crock pot, over medium heat; brown off the pork belly starting with the scored side in order to render some of the fat, then turn up the heat and brown off the bottom side.
   3. Remove pork belly and set aside, then drain excess fat from crock pot, but not completely.
   4. Brown off the vegetables in remaining fat, then deglaze with red wine and reduce by half.
   5. Add pork belly keeping the fat side up as well as the veal stock and thyme branches.
   6. Bring to a boil and then bake in a 325F oven for 1.5-2 hours or until tender.
   7. When ready; remove vegetables from the braising liquid and press the pork belly in the liquid overnight.
   8. The following day, cut a 1.5” square and crisp up in a skillet over medium high heat, and serve in the soup.