Name: Ham Hock and White Bean Stew
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 3 medium shallots, thinly sliced into rings; ½ cup vegetable oil; Kosher salt; ½ cup sour cream; 3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard; 1½ tsp. honey; Freshly ground black pepper; 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; 2 medium onions, peeled, halved through root ends; 2 heads of garlic, top third removed; 2 small carrots, trimmed, scrubbed, cut into bite-sized pieces; ½ cup dry white wine; 2½ lb. smoked ham hocks (about 4 medium); 1 bunch of thyme, stems tied together with kitchen twine; 2 cups corona or gigante beans, soaked overnight, drained; Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper; Chopped cornichons and/or dill sprigs (for serving; optional)

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Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Megan Hedgpeth

While this stew is definitely heavier on the beans than on the ham, the hocks lend a rich, smoky essence that flavors the beans from the inside out. If you can’t find corona or gigante beans, sub in a smaller white bean like cannellini, but keep in mind that they’ll cook a lot faster. To compensate, make sure you give the ham hocks a 30-minute head start. You can let this stew sit a full 12 hours to let the flavors really meld together, but this step is totally optional. Serve the stew as the centerpiece surrounded by fixings that guests can pick and choose to build their own bowls.

Recipe notes