PUCHERO, a 'peasant' chicken, pork & cabbage stew. Frugal, Boosts immune system

Fight off the effects of the Big Freeze; boost the immune system with a wallet-friendly Spanish 'peasant' stew  
                                                                  

Puchero: Spanish peasant stew with pork or lamb, chicken, bacon/pastrami & veg
'This was so welcome after January; the cabbage was unusual but added great texture and flavour and the first hints of delicate bacony saltiness made me stop in my tracks.'   

This vitamin and protein-rich stew helps build up the immune system.  Don't be afraid of hearty food during a Big Freeze.  It's a time to to get readyand build up strength before any other Big Chills.  

As well as plenty of comforting vegetables including -- unusually-- cabbage, puchero contains pork/lamb, chicken and sometimes bacon/pastrami.  Pork and bacon can be replaced with lamb neck and salt beef. Bones from chicken, lamb or pork make a rich broth (ask your butcher or check supermarket shelves) and enhance germ-fighting capacity.  Traditionally, the final product is served with chickpeas.

Puchero peasant stew
with toppings & flatbread

The frugality comes in the way puchero is served. The not-insubstantial amount of meat serves two  purposes.  A little of the meat can be shredded and added to the broth with the vegetables.  The rest can be frozen and used in pies, sarnies or noodle soups.  

Chickpeas are optional, with or without the meat.  All in all, it's a dish with many personalities.

Start this dish the day or morning before serving.


Cost: £6.00'ish upwards, depending on the amount of meat and bones purchased
Feeds: 4-5

Ingred:
  2 chicken legs or 7-8 chicken wings
  3-6 oz/85-170gm pork or lamb neck/fillet + bones if possible
  3-6 slices back bacon, fat removed or 1 3/4-3 1/2oz/50-100g ham hock OR cooked pastrami or salt beef
  4-5 stalks washed peeled celery
  3 med carrots
  2/3 mug swede or butternut squash in large dice
  1 well-cleanedleek
  2 tbsp white wine vinegar

  2 decent sized potatoes, peeled

  1/2 green cabbage, in 6 wedges, still attached at the bottom

  cooked or tinned chickpeas (opt)

Method:

1. Place all ingred except potatoes & cabbage in large stock pot
2. Add enough water to cover by 2 in/4 cm; add tbsp white wine vinegar
3. Bring to the boil; reduce heat to low bubble; remove froth as it rises 
4. When liquid is clear, cover & cook 1 hour 15 mins
5. Take off heat; remove meat and set aside
6. Strain veg from broth; keep back root vegetables, cool, cover & refrigerate
7. Cool broth then refrigerate overnight or until fat solidifies & can be removed
8. Return broth to pan; bring to boil; reduce heat to med
9. Add potatoes in chunks and chickpeas if using; cook 20-30 min
10. Add cabbage; simmer 20 mins until cooked but still with some bite  
11. Return other veg to puchero
12. Treat meat as toppings; shred or cube into separate bowls so guests can add what they like
13. Serve in large bowls with Sunblush Tomato Flatbread

Tips: 

1.  If low-fat pork fillet is beyond the budget use pork shoulder but remove all fat

2.  Lamb is an excellent high protein mean but has high levels of fat;  refrigerating the broth until the fat solidifies and can be removed makes this soup healthier 

This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.