Caldo Gallego Galician Broth Food

CALDO GALLEGO (GALICIAN BROTH)

Steps:

• Soak the beans overnight in cold water.
• Rinse beans then add them back to the pot with the pork.
• Cover with 8 1/2 cups of water and season them with the salt, pepper and paprika.
• Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer 1 hour covered. (Skim off foam)
• Remove the pork bones from the broth and add the potatoes, turnips, and chorizo.
• If you like, pull the meat of the bones and add back to the pot.
• Return the pot to a simmer and cook for 30 more minutes.

CALDO GALLEGO (GALICIAN BEAN, MEAT AND BIG LEAF SOUP)

Steps:

• Soak white beans overnight. Next day, drain and refill with cold water to cover by 4cms.
• 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.
• 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).
• 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).
• Back at the big pot (after about 75mins), remove all the meats and bone and set aside.
• 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!
• 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.
• When the removed meats have cooled slice off any excess meat, chop up into bite sized pieces and leave aside for the mo.
• 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.
• 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.
• Ladle into individual bowls and serve with country bread

CALDO GALLEGO ESTILO CUBANO - GALICIAN SOUP CUBAN STYLE

Steps:

• Place all ingredients; the beans with their soaking liquid, the chorizo, ham, pork fat or bacon, ham hock (if using), onion, garlic, green peppers, tomato sauce, olive oil, in a 6-quart pot, cover with broth and water.
• Cover the pot and simmer slowly for 30 minutes. Add seasonings and simmer for about 1-1/2-2 more hours, until the beans are almost tender.
• Skim the froth and scum that comes to the top.
• Season to taste.
• Add the potatoes, turnips and collard greens, and simmer 15 minutes longer, until all vegetables are soft.
• Season with salt, pepper, and Sazon Completo & Sazon con Azafran to taste.
• Serve in deep soup bowls with a side of white fluffy rice (a necessity for Cubans), with sliced avocados, and tomatoes, with a vinaigrette dressing, a warm loaf of Cuban (pan de flauta) bread or French baguette or even with a Focaccia.
• Buen provecho!