This Sausage and Bean Stew is a traditional dish from the Asturias region of Spain. Made with beans, sausage, cured meats such as ham or bacon, spices and tomatoes, it is a very close relative of Potaje de Chorizo y Garbanzos [q.v.], and perennial favourite TexMex Chilli con Carne. It is a perfect dish all year round, ideally served with bread, or on a baked potato dressed with yoghurt, and a salad. This is a quick version, using pre-cooked beans and sausage. The real thing takes about two hours cooking time.
Ingredients:
1/4 tblsp oil.
3 onions, chopped.
6-7 saffron threads, ground *.
Salt to taste.
2 Tbsp paprika.
4 cups cooked kidney beans **
2 400g can chopped tomato.
1 green chilli, seeded and diced.
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
200g belly bacon***, diced
500g chorizo diced sausages
Method.
Heat the oil in a pan over a hot flame and quickly sauté the onions until they are soft. Grind the saffron in a little salt and sprinkle over the onion with the paprika and cook for a minute or so until the aromas are released.
Add all the other ingredients, top up with enough water to cover, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook gently for twenty minutes. Serve with salad and fresh crusty bread.
*.If you have no saffron, 2 teaspoons of turmeric can be used instead.
**. 1 cup of dried beans when simmered slowly in plenty of salted water for one hour yields 2 cups of cooked beans plus a quantity of very useful bean stock that can add depth and ‘meatiness’ to a soup or stew.
***. Sometimes known as American Streaky Bacon.
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