Fabada

Name: Fabada
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 pound fabes (large white beans from Asturias) or other dried large white beans, soaked overnight in water to cover (or boiled for 2 minutes and soaked for 2 hours) and drained; 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; Pinch of saffron threads; 1 head of garlic, cut in half through its equator; 1/2 pound salt pork, pancetta, or slab bacon, in one piece; 1 smoked ham hock, in one piece, about 1 pound; 1/2 pound dried (Spanish) chorizo; 2 morcilla (Spanish blood sausages) or another 1/2 pound chorizo; 1 onion, peeled

December 14, 2011

Some Spaniards, like my friend Jose Andres, a chef based in Washington, D.C., who taught me this recipe, can talk until they’re blue in the face about fabada, the famous pork and bean stew they say is “the grandfather of the French cassoulet.” They will remind you to use only real fabes (dried beans you can find only at gourmet stores or specialty Web sites and that cost up to $20 a pound), tell you that you must have fresh morcilla (blood sausage), and on and on until you’re convinced that there’s no way you could ever make fabada at home. But dedication to the dish’s origins, along with a couple of simple substitutions, allows you to retain its spirit without going nuts.

Recipe notes

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