The black, or turtle bean, has a distinctive flavour and is popular in tropical cooking. The soup should be a rich mahogany brown when completed.
Serves 6-8
- Ingredients:
- 1 lb dried black beans, soaked overnight
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
- 3 tbs olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 4 cups good chicken broth
- 4 cups water
- 3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbs parsley, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp (or to taste) cumin
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup Gosling’s Black Seal Rum
- 4 tbs sherry peppers sauce or to taste
- chopped hard boiled egg, chopped onion and slices of banana for garnish
- Method:
- In a pot large enough to hold all the ingredients, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil and butter until golden. Add the beans, celery, thyme, parsley and bay leaf, and stir a few times to warm them all up. Pour on the water and broth and bring to a boil. Simmer 3 hours until tender. Add the allspice, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, salt and black pepper and cook another 5 minutes. Now add the Gosling’s Black Seal Rum and sherry peppers sauce and cook another few minutes. Remove from heat and pureé somewhat less than half the beans. Return them to the pot, adding more broth if it becomes too thick. Garnish with chopped hard-boiled egg, chopped onion and a couple of banana slices.
