I love Spanish food, especially the 'peasant style' stews and soups, which are ideal for winter, yet also light enough to be enjoyed all year round. One of my favourite recipes is estofado de garbanzos y patatas, or chickpea and potato stew. It's also one of the most versatile recipes there is. Here's my favourite version of the recipe, which I managed to coax out of the cook in our favourite Spanish family-run restaurant:
Ingredients for 4 servings
- · 4 medium – large and 1 small potato
- · 1 large ripe tomato
- · 1 large onion, chopped
- · 1 – 2 cloves garlic
- · 1 540g jar of cooked chickpeas (garbanzos), drained and rinsed
- · Olive oil
- · Knob of butter
- · Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- · 1 tbsp fresh or freeze dried parsley
- · 2 level tsps paprika
- 1 tablespoon tomato frito (puree)
- · Small glass of red wine (optional)
·Heat a little olive oil and soften the onions and garlic. Now add a small knob of butter and the wine, if using. Add parsley, salt and pepper.
Grate the tomato into the mixture, then add paprika and a little water to prevent burning. Cook for a couple of minutes.
Now add chickpeas and large sliced potatoes, tomato puree, optional vegetables and enough water to cover everything. Simmer for about 45 minutes, then grate the small potato into the stew to help thicken the gravy. Cook for another half hour, until everything is cooked through and the gravy is nice and thick.
Serve with fresh crusty bread. This stew is even better cooked the day before you need it, as this gives the flavours plenty of time to develop.
Grated tomatoes?
Yes! It's a trick used by jut about anyone who cooks in Spain. Gives a great consistency to the food, and it's very versatile too. just cut a ripe tomato in half, and use a grater with an integrated bowl to catch the fallout. Don't worry about grating your fingers - the tomato skin will peel back and form a protective shield. For an awesome tomato paste to spread on your bread, just add a little pepper, olive oil and tomato frito to a couple of large grated tomatoes. It will keep in the fridge for several days if covered.
Preparing the potatoes
This is a trick I also learned from the cook. Peel and slice the potatoes into fairly thick slices - maybe half an inch across. Now break each slice into 2 - 4 chunks, depending on the size. This creates uneven surfaces which release extra starch into the stew and help to thicken it. It's a good technique to use in any soups and stews, as it thickens without the need for flour or other agents.
Add meat if you like
If you want meat in your estofado, you can add smoked bacon lardons (taquitos) with the onions and garlic. Or add slices of chorizo or morcilla (black sausage). You can even mix it up with different types of sausage, and you don't need to increase the cooking time.
Vegetables
The stand-alone recipe is fine, but I think it's even better with extra vegetables. Peppers, courgettes, spinach aubergines, celery and green beans go particularly well with this, but you can add anything you fancy.
I tend to make a big pan of this and freeze it for later use. It's very economical too - around 5 - 7 Euro to make a huge pan that will easily feed 8 hungry people. Buen Provecho!