Easing us into autumn, Sarah Bonelle finds inspiration for a Spanish-style stew recipe at a local independent deli – packed with mushrooms, cavolo nero and white beans and topped with crispy chorizo.
For this month, I wanted to create a light, but warming and comforting, Spanish-style stew to move into the autumn season, and so La Dispensa – the Italian and Spanish deli in Chesterton – had lots of the goodies I needed for this dish.
It’s stocked full of cured meats, cheeses, beautiful jars of beans, olive oils and fancy tinned and jarred tomatoes. After chatting to the very helpful staff, I was pointed towards a delicious Lomo Embuchado chorizo and some white beans for my recipe. I also couldn’t resist a tin of the Perello olive oil. Gracias!
I then cycled into Cambridge to collect some cavolo nero, big chestnut mushrooms, parsley and lemons from the market. What a satisfying little haul.
Spanish-style stew recipe with mushrooms, cavolo nero, white beans and chorizo
Serves 4
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 3 large garlic cloves, sliced
- 15 big chestnut mushrooms, sliced
- Big bunch of cavolo nero, roughly chopped
- 1 large jar of white beans, including brine
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 mushroom stock cube (I use Kallo)
- 1 cup milk of your choice
- ½ cup water
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Zest of one lemon
- Fresh parsley
- Lemon juice
- Half a chorizo, sliced into cubes
Method
- Heat a glug of olive oil in a deep pan, add in the garlic and, after a minute or so, the mushrooms, stirring gently to coat in the oil and soften.
- Add in the stock cube, mustard and a splash of the milk, then carry on stirring gently before throwing in the cavolo nero and the whole jar of white beans, including brine.
- Stir well. Add in the rest of the milk, water, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Stir and then cook on a rolling but gentle simmer for around 30 minutes or until the sauce is thick and reduced. I place the lid half on and half off to create steam but with some air, so it doesn’t dry out.
- Put the cubed chorizo in a pan and fry until crisp.
- Ladle the stew into a bowl, sprinkle some chorizo on top, a squeeze of lemon, some fresh parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Serve on its own or with fresh bread. Some grated parmesan would also work really well.
Follow Sarah Bonelle’s culinary journey @cookingupcambridge