Fabada
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 pound
or 2 cups (½ kilo) dried very large white beans
2 dried
morcilla sausages
2 Spanish
style chorizo sausages
¼ pound
ham
½ cup
olive oil
½ pound
smoked ham hocks
½ onion,
chopped fine
Directions
• Place the
beans in water to cover and soak 8 hours or overnight. Separately cover the
ham and the ham hocks with lukewarm water and soak for 1 hour. (If you have
been able to obtain the morcillas, boil them for a few minutes to allow them
to lose some of their fat.)
• Discard
all the water that has been used for soaking. Place the beans in a Dutch
oven and cover them with cold water that reaches about 2 inches above the
beans. Bring to a boil and rook at high heat for a few minutes. Skim the
foam from the surface.
• In a
separate pan, heat the oil and sauté the chopped onion. Add to the beans.
• Cut the
ham and the ham hocks in chunks and add to the pot, tucking them down into
the bottom so that they do not break up the beans. Boil for 5 minutes,
covered, and skim. Add the" chorizos (and morcillas), boil 5 minutes more
and skim again. (The morcillas must remain on top of the beans.)
• Cook at
medium to low heat, partially covered, for 2 or 3 hours, depending on the
freshness of the beans. Take care that at all times the beans are covered by
2 inches of water. Pour in cold water as the water becomes absorbed. In
Asturias this operation is called to “asustar" or to “shock" the beans. It
is also customary never to stir the beans but to move them by shaking the
pot. Once in a while test a bean to see if they are done. Correct the
seasoning with more salt as necessary.
• Allow the
soup to rest for at least ½ hour before serving. If after resting it is not
thick enough, mash a few of the cooked beans in a plate, add a little of the
broth and return to the pot. Return the pot to a boil for a few
minutes.
• To serve
present the beans with their broth in a deep bowl or tureen. Offer
the meats on a separate platter, the ham and ham hocks in pieces, and the
sausage cut in rounds. Everything could be served together in the bowl, but
it is best not to disturb the beans so that they hold their shape.
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