Cocido Madrileño
Madrid's great chickpea-and-meat stew is a whole meal in one pot, served in three courses from the same broth: first a noodle soup, then the chickpeas and vegetables, then the meats. It is unhurried, generous winter cooking at its most iconic.
Approximate, per 1 bowl (~350g). Values vary by recipe and portion.
Ingredients
- ·400 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
- ·300 g beef shin or brisket
- ·1 ham bone and 1 marrow bone
- ·200 g pork belly or tocino
- ·1 whole chorizo and 1 morcilla
- ·2 chicken thighs
- ·2 carrots
- ·1 turnip
- ·2 potatoes
- ·1/4 cabbage
- ·150 g fine noodles (fideos)
- ·3 garlic cloves
- ·Salt
- ·2 tbsp olive oil
Method
- 1
Drain the soaked chickpeas. Put the beef, chicken, ham bone, marrow bone and pork belly in a large pot, cover generously with cold water and bring slowly to the boil, skimming off the foam that rises.
- 2
Add the chickpeas (tie them in a mesh bag if you like, to keep them together), lower to a gentle simmer and cook, partly covered, for about 2 hours.
- 3
Add the carrots and turnip and continue simmering for 30 minutes. Add the potatoes and the chorizo for the final 25 minutes. Cook the morcilla separately in a little broth so its colour doesn't muddy the pot.
- 4
Meanwhile boil the cabbage separately until tender, then drain and sauté it with the sliced garlic in olive oil.
- 5
When everything is tender, strain off the broth into a clean pot. Bring it to the boil, add the noodles and cook for 3-4 minutes to make the soup for the first course.
- 6
Serve in three vuelcos: the noodle soup first, then the chickpeas and vegetables with the sautéed cabbage, and finally the sliced meats and sausages on a platter.
- 7
Season each course to taste and offer the marrow spread on bread as a treat.