Madrilean Stew: Cocido Madrileño

In line with our culinary and gastronomic proposals for this cold winter weather, nothing beats an authentic  Madrilean “cocido”. Here is my mother’s recipe:

• Half a kilo of dried chickpeas, the smaller ones are great here
  § Half a kilo of meat, very tender and you will need to leave some fat in
  § 1 chorizo
  § 1 black pudding
  § 1 piece of fat back bacon, fresh as you can
  § 1 large soup bone, desalted (backbone works well)
  § 1 ham bone with meat still stuck on
  § 1 chicken quarter (rooster or tough chicken is best)
  § Medium sized cabbage
  § 2 large peeled potatoes
  § 2 large peeled carrots
  § 2 cloves of garlic

The chickpeas have to be soaked for at least 8 hours, well coated with water; otherwise they will come out hard.
Put the meat and chickpeas in a large casserole and have it simmer for at least 3 hours, or until we see that the chickpeas are tender. Once tender, add potatoes and carrots and cook for 10 minutes more

While the chickpeas and the meat cook, cut the cabbage thinly and boil it  with a little salt, about 15 minutes. The broth is stored to mix it with the one that result from the cooking of the chickpeas.
Sauté the cabbage with a few garlic slices and add paprika to taste (optional)
With the broth we will make a noodle soup, which we will serve first, and then serve the chickpeas accompanied by the cabbage and the meat.

All washed down with a good red wine and bread.

But if you happen to be in Madrid, and you want to taste a typical stew, we recommend an indispensable place:

Restaurant L'hardy

A classic restaurant of Madrid, right in down town, in the street Carrera of San Jerónimo, near the Congress. Opened since 1839, with classical decorated lounges, its crystal chandeliers take us back to another time when authors like Galdós, Azorín or Gomez de la Serna satiated their hunger while the wrote some of the greatest Spanish Literature of the 19^th century. In fact, the Restaurant is mentioned in many of the works of the time.

The Menu is wide and the Stew still stands out. We would be remiss if we didn´t mention an extensive wine list. Do yourself a favor and don´t pass on it.

More info: http://lhardy.com/

L'hardy is close to the Hop-on Hop-off Bus' Route 1,  stop #17.