A sugar shack menu to highlight easter

It's soon the long Easter weekend and you may be wondering what to cook for your guests? We offer a traditional "sugar shack" menu, version Vergers Petit et Fils:  ham cooked in cider, apple beans and bacon. Before starting, you will need still cider, apple syrup and cider vinegar. As you're there, why not buying  barrel of cider sparkling rosé ? These sweet bubbles are perfect to go with the meal! And if you do not have the heart to put you to the stove for Easter, you can always reserve a place for you and your family at our crêperie!

Ham cooked in cider

Before making this recipe, you must first marinate the piece of ham in eight cups of still cider. To do this, place the meat in a roasting pan and leave to marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Then you need to:

• Prick the ham with a dozen half garlic cloves (cut lengthways);
• Cut a large onion into slices and place it in the cider broth;
• Mix six tablespoons of apple syrup and three tablespoons of old-fashioned mustard before spreading this mixture over the rind of the ham;
• Simmer for about three hours at 350 ° F, taking care to water the ham with juice, at least every 30 minutes;
• The temperature of the ham at the end of cooking should be at least 140 ° F (60 ° C). If not, continue cooking a little longer.

Apple and Bacon Beans

Just like ham, beans with bacon and apples require a preliminary step of soaking. This consists of covering four cups of dry white beans with lukewarm water, overnight at room temperature. If the beans absorb a lot of water and they are no longer covered, it is important to add water. After soaking, the beans should be rinsed and drained. All you need to do is add the following ingredients in a large oven-safe pot:

• Four cloves of pressed garlic;
• Two onions, diced;
• Two apples, diced;
• Two Italian tomatoes, diced;
• A dozen slices of bacon, cut into lardon;
• A cup of ketchup;
• A cup of cider;
• ½ cup apple syrup;
• ½ cup of molasses;
• Two tablespoons of cider vinegar;
• One teaspoon of dry mustard;
• A teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper.

Once all the ingredients have been added, mix everything and add enough cold water to cover the beans amply. When the mixture comes to a boil, continue cooking for seven hours at 250 ° F. If the beans are not yet tender, it will be necessary to continue the cooking. It is very important to stir at all hours. In addition, it is necessary to add water during cooking, if the mixture becomes too thick.

Small tip! Since cooking and soaking the beans are quite long steps, it's easier to cook this in advance. All that remains is to warm it up at the guests' arrival. As the beans freeze well, it is interesting to double the recipe to taste it throughout the year! To do this, the remainders are previously separated in small portions. The beans are kept in the freezer for six to ten months.

Copyright © 2016, Les Vergers Petit et Fils, All rights reserved. A menu "sugar shack" to highlight Easter | * Ham with cider | ** | Apple and Bacon Beans | Written by Fanny Champagne