Chorizo Stew

Photo: flickr user avlxyz

Ingredients

1 pound Large dry white beans

pound Sliced bacon cut thin strips

12 lrgs Garlic cloves minced

4 Onions sliced

1 lrg Leek - (abt 1 lb) sliced, with ⅓ of

the green part

1 lrg Carrot, peeled, and

coarsely chopped

1 Ham hock - (abt 2 lbs) cut small pieces

pound Variety of chorizo sausages cut ¼" pieces

2 Bay leaves

1 tablespoon Spanish paprika

cup Red bell pepper roasted, peeled,

seeded and cut in 1/4" dice

Salt to taste

Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

Place beans in a bowl and soak them in water overnight. Add water to cover by 2 inches, as beans will expand about twice in size. Next day, drain beans.

In a very large flameproof casserole or stock pot, cook bacon over low heat for 3 or 4 minutes. Add garlic, onions, leek and carrot; cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add ham hock, sausages, bay leaves, paprika and beans; add water to barely cover. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam and fat from the top, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, on very low heat for about 2 1/2 hours, or until beans are tender and juicy.

Add red bell pepper 5 minutes before the end of cooking. Remove ham hock and defat surface of stew. Take off meat from ham hock and return it to the pan. Discard bay leaves. Taste for seasoning. Serve warm, preferably from a clay casserole.

This recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.

Suggested Wine: Sidra (Austrian hard, sparkling apple cider)