Catalan Stew Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 160°C Heat a large flameproof casserole dish over high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Add 60ml (1/4 cup) of the oil to the casserole dish. Add one-quarter of the beef and cook, turning, for 5 minutes or until brown. Transfer to the bowl with the pancetta. Repeat, in 3 more batches, with the remaining beef, reheating the dish between batches.
• Add the vinegar to the dish and cook, stirring to dislodge any bits that have cooked on to the base, for 1-2 minutes. Pour over the beef mixture.
• Heat the remaining oil in the dish over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until soft. Add the beef mixture, stock, wine, tomato paste, cinnamon, thyme, orange peel and chocolate. Cover with foil and a tight-fitting lid. Bring to the boil. Bake in oven for 2 hours or until the beef is tender. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool. Place in the fridge for 6 hours to chill.
• Preheat oven to 160°C Use a spoon to remove any fat from the surface of the stew. Cook the stew, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes or until heated through. Bake in oven for 45-50 minutes or until the meat is tender and the sauce thickens. Sprinkle the stew with parsley to serve.

Steps:

• Combine the drained chickpeas with enough water to cover by 2 inches in a large soup pot or Dutch oven, add the bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and skim off any foam. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add salt to taste (about a tablespoon), and simmer for another hour, until tender. Drain over a bowl and retain 2 cups of the cooking liquid. Set aside.
• While the beans are cooking, heat a large, heavy casserole over medium-high heat and when it is hot, add the sausages. Brown the sausages on all sides and remove from the heat. Slice and set aside.
• Add the olive oil to the pan, turn the heat down to medium, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, and add the diced pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onion and pepper are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for a minute or two, until fragrant, and stir in the tomatoes, sliced sausage, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring often over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly. Add the chickpeas, dried cayenne or chili flakes, and the 2 cups of their liquid that you set aside. Bring back to a simmer, stir together, turn the heat to very low, cover and cook gently for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the beans are very tender and the broth fragrant. Taste, adjust seasonings, and serve.

Steps:

• For the picada: Toast the nuts in a small skillet, then remove to a plate. Add the EVOO to the skillet and toast the bread slices until golden. Chop the bread and add to a food processor along with the parsley, lemon juice, garlic, toasted almonds and a splash of water. Pulse until the mixture is a pesto-like consistency. Refrigerate until ready to serve. For the stew: Heat the EVOO in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the thyme, paprika, celery, bay leaves, carrots, onions, bell peppers, chile peppers and saffron and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are soft, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and mash. Add the stock and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the chicken. Stir in the picada and olives, then remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Ladle the stew into shallow bowls and serve with warm bread for mopping. Cook's Note: The stew and the picada can be refrigerated in separate containers in the refrigerator for a make-ahead meal. Reheat the stew over medium heat, adding the picada and olives.
• Put the chicken in a very large stockpot or divide between 2 pots if necessary. Add the peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, carrots, celery, lemons, onions and herb bundle and sprinkle with salt. Add enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook at a rolling simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the chicken from the liquid and let cool. Strain the stock. (You should have 5 to 6 quarts stock.) Remove the skin and bones from the chicken, and shred the meat using your hands or 2 forks.

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbs of the oil in a large frying pan. Add the chicken and brown really well all over. Transfer to a casserole dish.
• Use the remaining oil to cook the onions in the frying pan until they turned golden at the edges. Add the pepper and garlic and cook for a further minute.
• Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and add to the chicken in the casserole dish. Brown the chorizo in the frying pan and also add this to the chicken.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Pour the tomatoes, broth and wine over the chicken, add the smoked paprika and saffron (if using). Add the raisins (if using), orange zest and thyme, season and mix well,.
• Add the olives and garbanzo beans, bring to the boil, then cover and cook on the middle shelf of the oven for about 40 minutes.
• Scatter with the parsley and serve with rice.

Steps:

• Carefully grate the cut sides the the tomatoes, stopping when you reach the skin. This should produce approximately 2 cups of tomato pulp.
• In a large deep skillet, heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Add the onion and half of the garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until softened and just beginning to brown (about 6 minutes). Add the tomato pulp and cook over high heat until thickened (about 5 minutes). Add the clam broth and boil until it is reduced by half (about 5 minutes).
• Add the ham, olives, and fish and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the fish is cooked through and the stew is thick. (about 5 minutes).
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, or a mortar and pestle, mash the remaining garlic to a paste along with a pinch of salt. Whisk the mayonnaise into the garlic paste along with the paprika and the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil.
• Serve the stew in shallow bowls with a dollop of the mayonnaise and crusty bread.