BLACK BEAN SOUP

1 pound dried black beans
6 ounces smoked bacon, diced
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
3 quarts Chicken Stock
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground mace
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup washed, chopped, and packed mustard greens
1 lemon, thinly sliced
Dry sherry

Wash the beans thoroughly in cold water.
In a large pot, render the bacon until golden. Drain the bacon on paper towels.
Add the onions to the fat and cook until wilted.
Add the stock and beans, bring to a boil, and reduce the heat to a simmer.
Add the spices and simmer for 2 to 2-1/2 hours, until the beans are soft.
Add the mustard greens and cook for 1 hour more.
Serve in warmed soup bowls with a thin slice of lemon.
Top with a soup spoonful of dry sherry at the table.

Serves 6 to 8