I received the latest issue of Food & Wine Magazine recently; the issue was all about Spain, and the trip through Spain was hosted by José Andrés. I have been to Barcelona, once, for a day, and loved the city, or all I got to see of it. Food though, was not stellar in the one restaurant we got to try.
That said, I have tasted foods that are Spanish in origin, such as Paella Valenciana, or Caldo Gallego, though I was not in Spain to taste them at their source. I know some of the flavors and know that I love them. This issue of Food and Wine was just dreamy, with all the foods and recipes, and though I had heard of Fabada Asturiana, I had never eaten it. Still, it certainly got my attention (along with at least 15 other recipes), and though I am not at all fond of Morcilla, or blood sausage (I did taste it a few times in Guatemala), with all the other meats in this soup/stew, one sausage would not be terribly missed, at least in my book!
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| My Fabada Asturiana |
The meats called for in the Food and Wine recipe, along with many others I researched online, are ham hocks, slab bacon, morcilla (blood sausage) and Spanish chorizo. As it happens, I had ordered a couple of packages of chorizo and had them in my freezer. And then I came to the beans: Asturian Fabes.
Asturian Fabes
Here began the search, because in most places, "fabes" (which is plural for Faba or Fabe beans) are interpreted as Fava beans. Let me just say: Fabes and Favas are NOT the same bean. Fava beans will not replace Fabes in this dish. As far as I can learn, Asturian Fabes are a vining bean, probably a runner bean variety of Phaseolus vulgaris.Asturian Fabe Beans (shown top right in the photo below - photo source found here) grow in Asturias, in the mountainous areas of northwestern Spain. They are a large, white bean (though I had no luck finding exact measurements), and shaped similarly to cannellini beans. They are described as creamy textured and flavored. Many places cite how very large these beans get once cooked, since they start out quite large in dried form. I went online to look for Asturian Fabes, and let me just say that they are not easy to find, and once you do find them, they are (to me) exorbitantly priced. I chose not to pay $19.95 (now, as of 2022, $24.00) plus $9.95 S&H for just one pound of beans, on LaTienda.com. Believe it or not, I couldn't find them on Amazon! The one thing that kept getting substituted was Fava Beans.
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| Clockwise from top left: Fava Beans; Asturian Fabes; (map of Spain with Asturias in red), Mexican Royal Corona Beans |
Fava Beans
By contrast, fava beans (seen top left in the photo above - photo source found here), also called broad beans, are from the scientific classification Vicia faba. They grow on a bush-like plant. They look entirely different, and are most often eaten fresh. Dried, they are a deep tan/brown and look nothing like the white Asturian Fabes.The one other kind of bean that was suggested to take the place of the Asturian Fabe beans was dried cannellini beans. Cannellini beans are smaller than the Asturian Fabes, but are similar in texture and are a good substitute.
What I Chose to Use
After searching fruitlessly for Asturian fabes that were reasonably priced and having no success, I went to Rancho Gordo. I have not bought beans from Rancho Gordo very often, but what I have gotten is of exceptional quality. They grow heirloom varieties of beans, some that were nearly lost completely, sometimes due to nothing more than the trickiness of growing them. I really admire those brave souls that are working to bring back heirloom plants, be they beans, or types of ancient wheat or tomatoes (among many other foods). Rancho Gordo has some wonderful varieties of beans, and they have recipes and suggestions for their use. On immediate search, I found nothing of Asturian Fabe beans, which makes sense, as Rancho Gordo is in the American southwest and generally discovering some of the many beans that were found in the southwest. I read about each of the heirloom types of beans they had to offer, and with the last beans on the page, I found what I would use: Royal Corona Beans. This is the description:The "creamy interior" part of that quote is what cinched the deal, for me. That is how the Asturian Fabes were described. And they were not kidding or exaggerating when they described them as "giant."
"Enormous, thick-skinned runner beans with a surprisingly creamy interior. One of our all-time best sellers, it's a versatile giant that works in all kinds of cuisines. A true pantry staple."
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| My Royal Corona Beans: left, dried; right, soaked, prior to cooking |
As soon as I received the beans, I set ⅓ of the bag to soak in lots of water overnight, intending to make this soup the following day.
And next morning I ended up in the hospital, and was there through the next day. I was fretting over the beans in the soaking water. Would they be okay after soaking for an extra two days? My husband said that my health was more important than beans!
Once I was home and all was well, I set the beans to cook the next day, along with the rest of the ingredients and the dish came out so good that my husband and I were truly impressed. The beans were just as described. They were lovely, creamy and flavorful. I am planning to try them cooked and soaked in a vinaigrette as a side dish, with the next ⅓ of the package! The extra days of soaking (in the fridge) did them no harm at all.
Serves 4 to 6
⅓ pound dried Royal Corona or Cannellini beans
1 or 2 ham hocks
¼ pound chunk slab bacon
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves fresh garlic
1½ to 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (Pimenton de la Vera)
¼ to ½ teaspoon saffron threads
¼ pound air dried Spanish chorizo
The night before making the soup, sort through and set the beans to soak with water to cover by at least 2 or 3 inches.
The following afternoon, drain the beans and discard soaking water. Place the beans in a pot and once again cover with water by at least an inch or so. Add in the ham hock(s) with the chunk of slab bacon, the onion, garlic, smoked paprika and saffron. Bring to boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 2 hours. The beans should be tender, but not falling apart.
Add in the chorizo, all in one piece, and cook for another half hour. Remove the meats from the pot to a plate to cool. Slice the chorizo into pieces and return to the pot. Remove meat from the ham hock, discarding the skin, fat and bones. Put the ham meat back into the pot. If your slab bacon is very meaty, cut up the meat and add back into the pot. Otherwise, just cube the piece of bacon and add that to the pot. Reheat and serve, preferably with a nice piece of crusty bread.
My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.
And next morning I ended up in the hospital, and was there through the next day. I was fretting over the beans in the soaking water. Would they be okay after soaking for an extra two days? My husband said that my health was more important than beans!
Once I was home and all was well, I set the beans to cook the next day, along with the rest of the ingredients and the dish came out so good that my husband and I were truly impressed. The beans were just as described. They were lovely, creamy and flavorful. I am planning to try them cooked and soaked in a vinaigrette as a side dish, with the next ⅓ of the package! The extra days of soaking (in the fridge) did them no harm at all.
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| My Fabada Asturiana |
My Fabada Asturiana
Serves 4 to 6
⅓ pound dried Royal Corona or Cannellini beans
1 or 2 ham hocks
¼ pound chunk slab bacon
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves fresh garlic
1½ to 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (Pimenton de la Vera)
¼ to ½ teaspoon saffron threads
¼ pound air dried Spanish chorizo
The night before making the soup, sort through and set the beans to soak with water to cover by at least 2 or 3 inches.
The following afternoon, drain the beans and discard soaking water. Place the beans in a pot and once again cover with water by at least an inch or so. Add in the ham hock(s) with the chunk of slab bacon, the onion, garlic, smoked paprika and saffron. Bring to boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 2 hours. The beans should be tender, but not falling apart.
Add in the chorizo, all in one piece, and cook for another half hour. Remove the meats from the pot to a plate to cool. Slice the chorizo into pieces and return to the pot. Remove meat from the ham hock, discarding the skin, fat and bones. Put the ham meat back into the pot. If your slab bacon is very meaty, cut up the meat and add back into the pot. Otherwise, just cube the piece of bacon and add that to the pot. Reheat and serve, preferably with a nice piece of crusty bread.
My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.
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