I love Thanksgiving – that is, almost as much as I love cooking!
Today, I’ll be making one of my favorite dishes – un potaje de frijoles blancas con chorizo y morcilla (that is, white bean, chorizo, and morcilla stew).
Here’s my recipe; try it out sometime! I’ve added pictures for extra deliciousness. =]
Alright – let’s go!
Elena’s Potaje Recipe:
Ingredients:
– 1 green bell pepper
– Olive oil
– 1 onion
– 3 cloves of garlic, mashed with olive oil and a dash of paprika
– Azafran (preferably in leaf form)
– Red sweet peppers
– Sazon Goya (without coloring)
– Adobo Goya (with pimiento)
– Chorizo (chopped up and de-skinned)
– Morcilla (chopped up)
– 1 bag of dry white beans
– 3-4 Bay leaves
– Oregano
– Black pepper
– Red wine (preferably dry)
– 1 can of tomato sauce
– Salt and pepper, to taste
– 1 potato (cut)
– 1 chile pepper (optional)
Note: you need to soak the beans overnight, preferably in a large pot!
Alright – let’s get started!
1) First, add olive oil to a large sautee pan. Then, drop in your garlic/paprika mix. Let it simmer briefly.
2) Now, add green peppers, onions, red sweet pepper, black pepper, oregano, bay leaf, Adobo Goya, Sazon Goya, chorizo, and a few spoons of tomato sauce. If you’d like, add some paprika and/or a single chile pepper for extra spice. This will be your sofrito (seasoning).
![Sofrito. This is your key ingredient! Make sure to taste frequently and add spices as you go along. Cooking is an art, not a chore! =]](http://qcvoices.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/files/2013/12/IMG_0007-768x1024.jpg)
Sofrito. This is your key ingredient! Make sure to taste frequently and add spices as you go along. Remember: cooking is an art, not a chore! =]
Note: make sure to leave a bit of sofrito in the pan! We will use this again!
3) Stir. Let everything simmer for a few minutes.
4) Now, add the sofrito to your pot of beans. Stir well, and bring your stew to a light boil.
Sofrito and stew. Stir well! Also, don’t let the stew boil excessively; we want the beans to be tender, not limp!
5) Do some tasting. Add spices and salt to your liking.
6) Add a few teaspoons of flour to the remaining sofrito and mix it all up. This will thicken the sofrito.
7) Add the flour and sofrito mix to the pot. The flour will give the stew a lovely consistency.
After you’ve added the flour and sofrito mix, your stew should begin to thicken. Make sure to stir very well – you don’t want the flour to form lumps!
8) Add a cup or so of chicken stock. Stir.
9) Add a dash of red wine and sherry vinegar. Add azafran to color the stew. Keep stirring!
10) Now, using the same sautee pan, fry up some morcilla with a bit of garlic and olive oil. The morcilla will cook relatively quickly. You can add some extra spices here if you’d like.
12) Add the morcilla to your stew. Cover the pot, and lower the heat.
13) Let the stew sit for at least an hour. Check it regularly – you don’t want it to overheat.
14) After an hour or so, add the chopped potatoes. Taste, and add spices accordingly.
The potatoes will soak up water and give your stew a nice, thick consistency. Don’t worry – we’re almost there!
15) Your stew should be done in 2-3 hours. Just before you finish, bring your stew to a final boil.
All done!
Enjoy! Have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Love,
Elena
