I’d had a kilo bag of alubias blancas in the cupboard for ages and so finally decided to do something with them. But what? Foodie friends on Twitter suggested a Fabada Asturiana. This is traditionally made with fabes de la granga and saffron, but since I had alubias blancas I just went with those, and substituted paprika for saffron. Turns out alubias and fabes are the same thing, basically meaning “large white bean” in different regions of Spain. I think my large white beans were either haricot or cannellini (?). I also picked up a “fabada prep” vacuum-package at the supermarket, containing 300 grams of very serious looking chorizo and morcilla (black pudding) along with a chunk of fatty salt pork, or tocina. Love that they do this here. There is also a “puchero prep” pack available. One day… maybe.

As usual, when trying something new, I checked out a few different recipes on the internet and then did a sort of mash up while adding a twist or two of my own. And the result was very tasty indeed. Rich smoky flavour from the spicy pimentón, a lovely thick beany sauce and lots of meaty goodness. Perfect eating on a chilly January day.

Ingredients and instructions below…

• 1 kilo alubias blancas (large white beans)
• 100 grams each: tocina, chorizo and morcilla
• 400 grams small bbq chorizos
• 2 tsp pimentón piquante
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• salt to taste (I used about 3-4 tsp)
• 6 cloves garlic (peeled and chopped)
• 1 medium onion (diced)

Soak the beans in cold water overnight, then rinse and place in large stewing pot. Cover with cold water (about an inch or so over), add the tocina, chorizo and morcilla. Add salt, peppercorns and paprika, mix well, then bring to a boil. As soon as the water boils, lower heat to a simmer and then start skimming off the sludge that rises to the top. Stir very occasionally, just enough so it doesn’t stick, otherwise the beans will break up. Add more water if required. Cooking time may vary, somewhere between 1-2 hours.

While the beans are cooking, sautée the bbq chorizo in a large saucepan. Once browned cut into bite-size chunks, return to pan to continue cooking, then set aside. In the same pan sautée the onion and garlic until translucent and set aside. When the beans are almost done remove the tocina, chorizo and tocina, cut into small slices and return to the pot. Add the cooked chorizo chunks, onions and garlic. A quick stir, add a bit more water if you need it, and simmer another 15-20 minutes.

[click on image to enlarge]