Fabada

This traditional Spanish meat and bean dish comes from the Asturias region. Spanish chorizo and morcilla sausages are slowly simmered along with salt pork and serrano ham yielding a rich and hearty saffron-flavored main course!

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr
• Total Time: 2 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 603 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 bay leaf
• 10 cups water
• ¼ pound salt pork
• ½ teaspoon crushed saffron threads
• 1 pound dried Asturian fabada beans or dried lima beans
• 8 ounces serrano ham, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 8 ounces Spanish chorizo sausage, casing removed, sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 8 ounces morcilla sausage or blood sausage, sliced 1/2-inch thick

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Cover beans with ample hot water and allow to stand overnight.

Step 2

Fill a Dutch oven 1/2 full with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add salt pork, and allow to boil for 5 minutes, then remove. Pour out water.

Step 3

Drain water from beans and place them into Dutch oven. Pour in 10 cups of water, then bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 15 minutes, skimming and discarding the foam that forms on top. Stir in saffron, salt pork, and diced ham; simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chorizo and morcilla sausages, and cook for 5 minutes more. Skim any foam that forms on top.

Step 4

Reduce heat to low, add bay leaf, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender, 2 to 3 hours, adding water if needed to keep beans moist. Allow beans to stand for 20 minutes off of the heat before serving.