Campo Cocido

One of the favourite rib-sticking dishes when there is hard work to be done in the Campo is cocido.

This is a stew that is very popular and, like Irish Stew or Lancashire Hotpot, the variations are endless with every cook claiming that his or her version is the only authentic one. Here are the basic ingredients:

A mix of meat, such as chicken, beef, lamb and tocino
500g of potatoes
500g of chick peas (garbanzos)
250g of green beans (Judias verdes)
A stalk or two of chard, (penca, cardo), cabbage or other greens
Some chunks of chorizo sausage and black pudding (chorizo)
About two cups of fine very fine pasta (fideos)
Salt

Tocino is a very fatty chunk of pork streaked with lean meat, a ham hock could be substituted. Take a large pot and add plenty of water. Bring to the boil. Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks. Wash chop the greens and the beans and cut them up. When the water is boiling, add the garbanzos, which should have been soaked overnight, the potatoes, the greens , the beans and the meat. Add salt to taste. Allow to simmer for a good time and when everything is cooked take out all the ingredients by straining. Put the pasta into the liquid and cook until soft. Separate the garbanzos and potatoes from the meat and black pudding which should be put onto a large plate. The puddings should have been cooked with the string still holding them together so that they are easy to remove.

The meal consists of the soup, served first. Then everyone gets a dish of potatoes and garbanzos and helps themselves to tasty bits of meat and black pudding from the big serving plate.

Our friend, Pepe, the source of all knowledge on Spanish cooking explains that is very definitely a meal for a big group of family and friends. There is lots of laughter and chatter around the table as everyone enjoys their cocido.

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c. Phillip Bruce 2009.