Asturian Fabada

Buttery-soft white beans in a thick, rich sauce. The powerful aroma of smoked paprika and saffron signals a characterful dish where the meat falls apart effortlessly.

• Prep time: 20 min
• Cook time: 150 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 736
• Protein: 36 g
• Carbs: 35 g
• Fat: 51 g

Ingredients

• 500 g White bean ( soaked for 12 hours )
• 250 g Smoked cured pork belly ( in one piece )
• 2 piece Chorizo ( whole )
• 1 piece Onion ( whole peeled )
• 2 piece Garlic ( whole cloves )
• 1 tsp Smoked paprika
• 1 pinch Saffron
• 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 piece Morcilla (Spanish blood sausage) ( whole )

Instructions

1. Cold start

   Place the pre-soaked beans in a large pot. Cover with cold water (about 2 cm above the beans). Bring to a boil over high heat.

2. Skimming

   As soon as it boils, remove the grey foam that forms on the surface with a skimmer to obtain a clean broth.

3. The meat pairing

   Add the pork belly, the whole chorizo, the morcilla, the peeled onion and the garlic cloves. Pour in the olive oil. Lower the heat to minimum: it should just simmer.

4. Infusion

   Stir in the saffron and smoked paprika. Never stir with a spoon to avoid breaking the beans; gently shake the pot by the handles.

5. Shocking the beans

   During cooking, if the liquid reduces too much, add a small glass of cold water. This is called 'shocking' the beans, which stops the boiling and prevents the skin from bursting.

6. Finishing and resting

   Check the cooking: the beans should be tender. Remove the onion and garlic. Let rest for 15 minutes off the heat so that the sauce coats the beans well.

Chef's tips

• Only salt at the end of cooking, as the cured meats provide plenty of salt.
• If the sauce is too thin, mash a few beans against the side of the pot to thicken the broth.

Storage

Keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator. It's even better reheated the next day once the flavors have fully infused.