Spain Cocido Madrileño (Madrid Stew)
Cocido madrileño is a long-simmering Spanish stew that is served over several courses and can be a meal unto itself. This recipe produces a light starter soup, a hearty first course of tender vegetables and chickpeas, and a final course of hearty meats that fall apart on the fork. Cocido madrileño has a long history in Spain, perhaps originating as a chicken stew made by Sephardic Jews in the 15th century. Long-cooking meals could be prepared and started on Friday evening and cook through Saturday, to avoid the Jewish proscription against working on the Sabbath. Later, Christians added various cuts of Spain’s renowned pork, solidifying the central place this dish would take in Spanish cuisine.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken, broken down
- 1 lb (450 g) pork bones
- 1 lb (450 g) slab bacon
- 1 lb (450 g) ham hock
- 3½ cups (790 g) chickpeas, soaked overnight
- 6 potatoes, cubed
- 4 carrots
- 2 tsp (10 g) salt
- 2 tsp (10 g) ground pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 head cabbage, thinly sliced
- Pasta, preferably angel hair or vermicelli
- 4 chorizo sausages
- 2 blood sausages
Directions
- Stew:
In a large Dutch oven, layer the chicken pieces, pork bones, slab bacon, and ham hock. - Pour in enough cold water to cover the ingredients and leave the covered pot to simmer over low heat for about 3 hours.
- Skim off any foam that builds up on the surface of the water, and replace water as necessary to keep ingredients covered.
- Use a fine sieve to remove the meat and any small bones from the broth.
- Separate the meat from the bones and set the pieces aside on a serving platter.
- Drain the soaking chickpeas and put them in the Dutch oven and add the carrots and potatoes to the broth.
- Season the mixture with the salt, pepper, and bay leaves.
- Bring the broth to a boil and simmer for about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Add cabbage and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain and set aside.
- When the chickpeas and vegetables are tender, remove them to a serving platter. Set aside.
- Break the noodles into small pieces, about 1 inch (5 cm) long.
- Add them to the broth and cook until tender.
- Sausage:
In the meantime, puncture the casing of the chorizo and blood sausages, to allow grease to drain. - In a small pot, boil the sausages in water for about 15 minutes, or until they are cooked.
- Remove and set aside with the other meats.
- Serving:
Cocido mardileno is served in 3 courses. - The first offering is the broth and noodles.
- The second course is the vegetables and chickpeas.
- Finally, the meat and sausages are served, with cabbage on the side.
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