Caldo Gallego (Galician bean, meat and big leaf soup)

Method

• step 1

  Soak white beans overnight. Next day, drain and refill with cold water to cover by 4cms.

• step 2

  In a large pot add a little EVOO, med heat up, and add pancetta slab and bone. Cook until bone and slab look like they are rendering juices and starting to brown a bit.

• step 3

  Add bay leaves, ham knuckle, and fill with water to cover the smoked knuckle. Bring to boil and leave on rolling boil/simmer for about 75mins or less (check ham knuckle to make sure it stays submerged, add more water if needed).

• step 4

  In the meantime bring to boil the white beans and cook on moderate heat for just 15mins. Drain and set aside (This is to give the beans a helping start as they won’t cook quickly later when added to the salty/meaty broth that will become from above).

• step 5

  Back at the big pot (after about 75mins), remove all the meats and bone and set aside.

• step 6

  Add the white beans to the big broth pot, bring to the boil and simmer at a medium-high flame. How long to cook? This is the most important step! The beans must be cooked to nearing al-dente. Any further they will turn to mush, too early and they will remain bullets. Judge well because the final step will be to add the vegetables/potatoes and chorizos at the right time because there are 30 more minutes left of cooking. So keep checking!

• step 7

  Whilst the beans are simmering grab a frying pan, add some EVOO and start frying the onion/leek slices, add the ñora peppers and after 10mins add the chopped garlic, turn down heat and continue cooking on low heat until onion/leeks are nearing to brown, but not there yet. Turn off heat, allow to cool then stir in the paprika. Remove ñora peppers, pull off stems. In a blender add the ñoras and a cup of the broth from large pot (cooled) and whizz up into a thick sauce. Add this back into the frying pan and stir to mix.

• step 8

  When the removed meats have cooled slice off any excess meat, chop up into bite sized pieces and leave aside for the mo.

• step 9

  When the beans are nearing al-dente, add the chopped carrots, the fried onion or leek/garlic/ñora/paprika sauce from the frying pan, and the whole chorizos to the big pot. Cook on moderate heat. After 10 mins add potato chunks. Add the turnips (if using) 5 mins later then after another 5 mins add chopped greens and the chopped meats and continue to cook until potatoes, and turnips (if musing) are cooked, but not falling apart.

• step 10

  Check the beans, are they now cooked? If so turn heat to a bare minimum uncovered and hook out the chorizos. When cool enough to handle chop into chunks and add back into the pot for a few mins.

• step 11

  Ladle into individual bowls and serve with country bread