Estufado de Codero y Verduras

Ingredients

• Olive Oil
• 1 ½ pounds of lamb loin and shin
• 5 inch piece of chorizo sausage (sliced)
• 3 inch piece of black pudding sausage (sliced)
• ½ cup of pancetta or fatty smoked bacon (sliced)
• 1 cup of peeled and thinly sliced carrots
• 1 cup of celery (chopped with leafy tops)
• ½ cup of turnips (peeled and diced)
• ½ cup of chopped tinned tomatoes
• 1 glass of dry white wine
• 1 pint of fresh stock or water
• 1-teaspoon of saffron threads soaked in 2 teaspoons of water
• 8 whole black peppercorns
• 1 whole bulb of garlic (with skins on)

Equipment

The Spanish use a cazuela pot when cooking this dish as this is the most traditional method. A cazuela is an earthernware dish that can be used either on top of the oven over a gas flame or for baking inside the main oven. Remember to leave the dish to cool before washing as it may crack due to extreme, rapid changes in temperature. A deep frying pan is a suitable alternative to cook this recipe, however it would be worth transferring the ingredients into a more attractive hot dish before serving at the table.

Method

1.
Coat the bottom of the cazuela with olive oil and heat over a medium flame. Add the loin and shin meat and brown.

2.
Add the vegetables layer by layer and slowly mix in with the meat.

3.
Add the chorizo, black pudding and pancetta to the pot, then stir in the white wine, saffron and black peppercorns.

4.
Add 2 cups of stock or water and bring to the boil. Once the juices are bubbling turn the down the heat to low and simmer. Place the whole bulb of garlic in the centre of the dish. The idea is to remove the garlic just before serving but some chefs choose to keep the garlic in so they can nibble on it with bread as ana accompaniment to the main course.

5.
Simmer on a low heat for 21/2 – 3 hours, gradually adding the remainder of the stock or water so that the ingredients are covered at all times.
Serve with a salad and a crusty farmhouse loaf.

Serves 4