My paternal grandparents and my maternal grandmother were from Asturias, Spain. Much of the food that I grew up with were dishes from this region. Asturias is situated in a mountainous region of Northern Spain with miles of greenery and lush vegetation. It is considered part of “Green Spain”.
My father’s parents were from a very small town called Ponga. If interested, Ponga is now paying people to live there and paying additionally if you have children. There are many small villages in Spain that are doing this to keep these towns from dying. My grandparent’s home is now a Bed & Breakfast.
We are not quite as sure about the city from which my maternal grandmother immigrated, but we believe she was from Santander, Spain. Santander is a beautiful city that has both coastal waters and beautiful mountains. It is the capital of Cantabria, located on the north coast of Spain.
Asturias is well known for its seafood but the most famous regional dish and the one considered the signature dish of the region is Fabada Asturiana. It is a rich Spanish bean stew made with chorizos, morcillas (blood sausage), smoked ham and/or bacon. Nowhere have I seen a recipe that adds potatoes to this dish, but my grandmother always did so I do also and include it in my recipe. And we always ate it over a bit of white rice, a requirement of my grandfather who could eat rice every day. How can you go wrong with three starches in one dish!!!
DO NOT DISCARD THE USE OF THE MORCILLA! While the name, blood sausage, sounds unseemly, you will not get the authentic flavor without it. When I serve it for company, I take it out after the stew is done. I have never received anything but rave reviews for this dish. One of the most comforting stews/soups you will ever enjoy.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 Cups chopped yellow onion
- 2 Tbsp chopped garlic
- 6 Oz. morcilla sausage thickly sliced (you can buy these in specialty markets, Latin markets or on line such as at www.latienda.com)
- 2 Spanish chorizos sliced
- 12 Oz. uncured smoked bacon or smoked ham or combination of those two
- 1 Lb. Fabes beans (these may be purchased on line; they are large white beans that are incredibly creamy), or great northern beans or navy beans
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Lb. diced potatoes
- 4 Tsp. salt
- 1 Tsp ground pepper
- 2 1/2 Quarts water.
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Soak the beans in very hot water while doing your mise en place. If you wish you can soak them over night.
- Slice the bacon into lardons. If using ham, dice it.
- In a large Dutch oven or soup pot with a lid, add the olive oil and bacon or ham and brown.
- With a slotted spoon, remove the meat and set aside, leaving the remaining oil in the pot.
- Sauté the onions with 2 teaspoons of the salt until the onions are very soft.
- Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.
- Add the chorizo and stir fry until the paprika from the sausage colors the onions.
- Add the morcilla and sauté for about 30 seconds.
- Drain the beans and add them to the pot along with the 2 1/2 quarts of water and the remaining two teaspoons of salt and teaspoon of pepper.
- Bring to a soft boil and reduce to simmer, stirring from time to time.
- Simmer until the beans are soft. Do the three bean test – taste at least three different beans from three different parts of the pot to make sure they are all cooked to softness.
- Add the dice potatoes, cover the pot and cook for an additional 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through and tender.
- If too much water evaporates, add a little more at a time until you have a thick but liquidy stew.
- Serve over a bit of white rice and enjoy what will be one of the most comforting dishes you will ever experience.