Did you ever want to know how to prepare a real classic and traditional Spanish recipe other than "tortilla de patatas"? Probably there is no other recipe like Cocido Madrileño. With several centuries of documented history, it is a must during winter. And not only in Madrid, but in many households throughout the country. I remember my grandma how she prepared Cocido on Sunday. With the meat, she prepared the next day some croquettes. A full cocido provides you with food for several meals, and you can always freeze some of the broth for future occasions.
The country is divided into those consuming first the soup, then the rest, and those consuming all together, making a perfect mix (do you guess which group I belong to?). For the soup you can use the type of pasta you prefer. Most commonly we use the one called "fideos", a sort of very thin spaghetti-like small pasta. But many people also consume another one like dots, or bigger sorts, like lumache, etc.
Once your cocido is ready, Keep the chickpeas, veggies and meat soaking in the broth. Every time you want to consume a portion, fish the pieces and take as much broth as you need. This way you prevent the ingredients from drying. Just be careful with the bones (especially from chicken, because the meat is very tender and separates from the bones). I hope you can give it a try. Leave your comments or questions. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 6 portions:
-300 gr dry chickpeas (you need to soak them overnight in cold water with a pinch of salt)
-200 gr fresh pork belly
-300 gr veal
-1 chorizo
-1 morcilla (black sausage. Skip it if you don't like it or you cannot find it)
-1-2 veal bone piece/s
-100 gr jamón (cured ham) with a piece of bone (if possible)
-2 chicken/hen drumsticks (or any other piece of the chicken)
-600 gr cabbage
-600 gr carrots
-1 leek
-3-4 celery stalks
-6 potatoes
-1 turnip
-pasta for the soup (fideos)
-3 l cold water
-Salt
-4 tbsp olive oil
-2 garlic cloves
Directions:
1-Soak overnight the chickpeas in cold water with a pinch of salt.
2-In a big pot, pour clean cold water (not the one from the chickpeas) and add the bones, pork belly and veal. Heat the water until boiling. In the meantime, keep removing the foam on the surface. Add the strained chickpeas. Once it boils again, lower the heat to medium, and cook for 1 hour.
3-Add the chorizo and chicken/hen pieces. Remove the foam again (after adding the chicken a lot of foam will be formed on the surface) and cook for 1 hour.
4-Now, after two hours, add the salt, peel the carrots and turnip, cut them in halves and add them to the broth along with the leek and celery stalks. Cook for 30 min.
5-Peel the potatoes and add them to the broth. Cook for 30 min. In the meantime, heat some water in another smaller pot, cut the cabbage in big pieces and boil for 10-15 minutes until done. Strain the cabbage and boil in the same water the black sausage for 10 min. In a pan, heat the olive oil with the garlic cloves. After 3-4 min remove the garlic and add the cabbage. Stir fry for 5-6 min and set aside.
6-Now the cocido is done. Extract the meat pieces from the broth and cut into small pieces. In a big plate, arrange the meat, the chickpeas, and carrots, add the cabbage and potatoes.
7-For the soup, take as much broth as you need and bring it to a boil. Add some pasta (as much as you like) to it and boil following the directions on the package. Serve the soup individually in plates or bowls and put in the center of the table the big plate with the rest of ingredients. Enjoy!
Tip: Store the leftovers in the fridge, with the ingredients covered by the broth, so they don't get dry.
Comments
Post a Comment