Fosole cu Ciolan Afumat (Romanian smoked pork hock stew)

December 1 is Romania's National Day, where the country celebrates the union between Romania and Transylvania into one country in 1918.

And on this day, we eat this dish! A hearty stew of beans and smoked pork hock!

It is truly delicious.

Give it a go:

Fasole cu ciolan afumat
350 g white beans soaked for 24 hours
750 g smoked pork hock
2 bay leaves

2 Tbsp. oil
150 g or 1 small onion, finely diced
100 g or 3 small carrots, peeled and grated
50 g or half a parsnip, peeled and finely grated
180 g or 1 large red bell pepper, finely sliced
15 g or 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
400g or 2 scant cup canned crushed or pureed tomatoes
1 Tbsp. sweet Hungarian paprika
2-3 sprigs of thyme
1/4 tsp. black pepper

To finish:
A large bunch of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
A Handful of picked tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
Vinegar to taste

1) In a large pot, cover your beans with water and bring to a simmer. Cook gently until beans are tender and then take off the heat. Sprinkle in a small handful of salt, stir the salt in, and then let the beans cool to room temperature.
2) In another large pot, place your pork hock and bay leaves. Cover with water and bring to a simmer. Simmer until pork is falling off the bone. Remove pot from heat. Let cool to room temperature. Then take out your pork hock and take off the meat. Cut the meat into bite-size chunks and reserve for later use. Also reserve the cooking liquor from the pork hocks.
3) To make the stew, pour the oil into a large pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and slightly golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. Now add the carrots, parsnip, and bell pepper. Cook until all the vegetables are soft.
4) Now add all the remaining ingredients. Strain your beans out of the cooking liquid and add them to the pot. Now add the chopped pork and just enough of the pork braising liquid to cover the beans and the pork. Let simmer for 30 minutes and then taste. Add salt if needed. The finished consistency should be of a very thick, hearty soup or loose stew.
5) To serve, toss in the chopped herbs and serve immediately. Each person should add vinegar to taste, just to cut through the richness of the dish.