Soak the beans for about 12 hours in cold water. Place them in the Dutch oven with a bit of their soaking water and bring to a rolling boil. “Shock” and skim them two or three times (you know the drill: when it\u2019s boiling hard, add a glass of cold water to stop the boil instantly until it starts boiling again, then repeat twice more). <\/p>\n
Once they\u2019ve been “shocked,” add the onion cut in half with the clove pinned into it, the bay leaf, the pepper, and a splash of flavorful oil. Then, simply ensure the water stays at 80\u00b0C for as long as it takes for the beans to become tender without falling apart, adding small amounts of water if necessary\u2014they should always be covered by at least a finger\u2019s width of water. <\/p>\n
When you taste one and feel they are almost ready, add salt to taste and the chopped zucchini. Let it finish cooking, with or without the lid, depending on whether you need to evaporate some broth or not. Let it rest for a few minutes once the zucchini is cooked (it shouldn’t fall apart; it\u2019s very pleasant if it still has a bit of a crunch). <\/p>\n
If you want to thicken the broth, you can always remove the onion, blend it with a little broth, and add it back to the stew. The red peppercorns will be almost soft and edible, depending on your preference. We even like to add a bit of ground pepper. Enjoy! <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>