Bajan Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

 * 2½ cups dried black beans, soaked-overnight
 * 1 large or 2 small ham hocks
 * 3 to 3.5 quarts water
 * 3 tbsp olive oil
 * 2 to 3 large onions
 * 4 cloves garlic
 * 3 small [f[fresh chile pepper|fresh green peppers]] - jalapenos preferred
 * 8 berries allspice coarsely-crushed
 * 2 tsp brown sugar (or 1 tsp of molasses)
 * 3 tbsp tomato paste
 * ¾ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
 * salt
 * grated rind and juice from one lemon

Directions

 * 1) Put the drained beans and hock in a very large pan, cover with the cold water and bring gradually to a boil.
 * 2) Leave to simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.
 * 3) In a frying pan heat the olive oil, then gently fry the onion, garlic and chile with the allspice and lemon rind, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent.
 * 4) Add this mixture to the beans and go on simmering for 2 hours, by which time the beans should be tender.
 * 5) At this point add the sugar, lemon juice, and tomato puree.
 * 6) Cook for another 30 minutes.
 * 7) Add salt if necessary.
 * 8) Remove the hock, and pick off any meat.
 * 9) If you would like a smooth soup, as mine (the author) was, process the mixture in batches and return with the meat to the pan.
 * 10) Otherwise, for a rougher texture crush with a potato masher.
 * 11) If the mixture seems too thick at this stage, add more water and bring back to the boil for a minute or two.