How to Cook the Andalusian Stew: Simple & Delicous Recipe 🍲

Ingredients

🍲 400 g. chickpeas
🥕 2 carrots
🥔 2 potatoes
🌿 2 celery branches
🍠 2 turnips
🐔 1/2 chicken
🥩 1/4 kg of beef
🦴 1 salted spine bone
🍖 1 piece of rib
🥓 1 piece of medium or small bacon
🍖 1 piece of ham
🦴 1 white bone
🧄 1 leek
🧂 Salt (if necessary)
💧 Approximately 4 l of water

For the stew broth: Optional (noodles or rice), fresh mint, white bread and a splash of lemon.

This is a stew that is prepared with slight variations in Andalusia. And as in all of Spain, in each house everyone has their own personalizations and tricks. This stew that we could call the Andalusian stew is based on the grandmother of all stews: the Sephardic adafina.

A stew of chickpeas, vegetables and meats typical of the Sabbath and which, according to many experts, is the origin of great dishes of our cuisine such as Galician stew , Andalusian stew, Madrid stew or Asturian pot.

In Sephardic cuisine we will find many similarities with recipes for Ashkenazi cholent, Yemeni gillah or Calcutta khamin, something similar to what happens with the meatball recipes that we find throughout Europe. This stew is one of those recipes with meat that was already talked about in the 19th century and from which a lot of recipes can be made such as minced meat soup or stew croquettes, to give just a couple of examples.

The recipe for puchero is very simple and also allows us to have a great base to prepare other dishes or eat it directly as a broth with vegetables and meat . Let’s go for a comforting, delicious puchero. Who’s up for it?

Before cooking, soak chickpeas

1. One of the most important steps is choosing the chickpeas. They are available as dried or already cooked legumes and can be found in various sizes.
2. I like Castilian chickpeas that are large, spherical in shape and have a characteristic yellowish color. I recommend using dried chickpeas because they allow you to control the salt content of the stew by avoiding the treatments that come with canned chickpeas.
3. The day before, we put the chickpeas in warm water with a teaspoon of bicarbonate or a good handful of salt. We leave them to soak overnight, normally 12 hours.
4. It is important to wash them afterwards to remove any impurities. Also, make sure that no spoiled chickpeas get in, which could damage your teeth.
5. We will only have to drain and set aside until the time of preparing the stew.
6. If you are going to use them already cooked, wash them very well without leaving any trace of the gelatin that surrounds the chickpeas. We will add them at the end of the cooking of the Andalusian stew. Just so that they are well impregnated with the flavour of the rest of the ingredients.
7. I must admit that these types of chickpeas, already cooked and packed in a glass jar, save a lot of time in the kitchen. Although it is better to use them for other types of dishes such as hummus or a salad.

Cook meats and vegetables

1. We wash and peel the potatoes, carrots, turnips and celery sticks. We wash the leek, cut off the green part and cut it into pieces.
2. We put a sufficiently large pot with plenty of water on the fire and when it is hot we add the chickpeas. Many people tend to cook it in a pressure cooker to make it faster, but I like it the old-fashioned way, on a low heat. Although it takes longer, I think it turns out better.
3. First, add the meat with the bone, then the rest of the “spare parts”, including the bacon. We also add all the vegetables.
4. Cook for 10 minutes on high heat and throw away all the water which will carry away all the impurities and excess salt. This is a good tip to make the broth lighter and smoother, as mentioned in the garlic chicken recipe.
5. We fill it with water again and cook everything together over medium or high heat, removing the foam that forms with a spoon or skimmer.
6. We remove the vegetables once they are done and leave the meat and chickpeas on the heat.
7. Almost at the end we adjust the salt if necessary, as the bone gives it the necessary touch of salt. But if it needs it, we adjust the salt, always to taste.
8. When the chickpeas and meat are cooked, remove them to a separate plate and bowl. Throw away the bones. Strain the broth and set aside.
9. If you see that the broth evaporates a lot from the pot, add more water. As for the foam, you should remove it from time to time.
10. Once the meat has cooled a little, we shred it with our hands and set it aside.

How to serve the stew and make the famous pringá

1. We serve the broth with some noodles or a little rice. We put the broth that we have strained and reserved on the heat and add a handful of noodles (this depends on the taste of each house).
2. Depending on the area of ​​Andalusia, you will find variations of this stew. In Malaga, for example, a dash of lemon and a touch of mint are usually added.
3. It can also be served with plain white bread or fried bread cubes. In other places, shredded meat and a few chickpeas are added.
4. And in Huelva I have tried it with hard-boiled egg, it goes great, like in picadillo soup. The latter must be the little cousin of a good stew.
5. Pringá is very easy to prepare. With the leftover meat, bacon and some of the chickpeas we make a kind of paste. Just use the fork, don’t get confused with this.
6. Since it is all soft, it is very easy to mix. You can add a touch of salt and paprika (it depends on taste) and spread it on a good country bread. A splash of a good extra virgin olive oil and you will have a delicious toast.

Want more Chicken Recipes?

Try our flavorful Garlic Chicken Recipe for a simple yet delicious meal, or dive into a hearty Andalusian Stew Recipe rich in traditional flavors. For a comforting bowl, our Chicken Minced Meat Soup is perfect, while the classic Catalan Stew Recipe offers a taste of authentic Catalan cuisine. And if you're craving something with a Middle Eastern twist, don’t miss our Chicken Shawarma Recipe and Grandma's Chicken Sauce, perfectly spiced and ideal for a quick, satisfying meal.

You may also like these:

Chicken Pepitoria Recipe  |  Chicken Döner Kebab Recipe  |  Chicken Stir-Fried Rice Recipe  |  Chicken Mushroom Stew Recipe

Tips for a delicious Andalusian stew

• Although this recipe takes quite a while to cook, once all the ingredients have been put into the pot you just have to keep an eye on it from time to time and remove any foam that appears. So while everything is cooking we can prepare other dishes or attend to our guests.
• The broth is the most delicious part of this stew. It is usually eaten first, I like it as is, but it is normal to add some noodles, with a bit of white country bread and a touch of fresh mint. In many restaurants in the Malaga area they serve everything together, with chickpeas, shredded meat and some good ham cubes added to the soup.
• The only preparation you need to do in advance is to remember to soak the chickpeas. Of course, the better the chickpeas and the vegetables and meat you add to the casserole, the better the result will be, so it is worth getting all the ingredients from your local store or supermarket.
• We can use the stew to make a lot of recipes. For example, with the shredded meat we can prepare croquettes or ropa vieja, while the vegetables, once cooked, are perfect for preparing a delicious soup.
• With the stew prepared and stored in separate jars for the meat, chickpeas and vegetables, we have a great advantage in preparing a delicious meal in just a moment.

How to Cook the Andalusian Stew: Simple & Delicous Recipe 🍲