Asturian fabada in a casserole

I love autumn! I enjoy feeling the morning chill when I leave the house while thinking about how much I missed it. There is another feeling I also enjoy, and that is those comforting dishes that help you fend off the cold.

Undoubtedly the proposal Carmen brings us today, from Yerbabuena en la Cocina, is one of those dishes: traditional Asturian fabada is one of the country's most typical dishes, which you'll enjoy eating both day-to-day and at family meals. So take note — when the cold arrives it's time to start heating up the stoves for this dish you'll love!

I'm in autumn mode, and although the cold hasn't arrived in full force yet, how about we prepare for the coming weeks with recipes from our traditional cuisine?

On this occasion the chosen recipe is fabada; its origins are not known for certain, yet it is the best-known and most widespread dish of Asturian regional cuisine. Obviously, it's a hearty, calorie-rich meal born out of the need to combat Asturias's cold, damp winter climate, but within a moderate, balanced, and healthy diet it has a perfect place.

For making fabada the variety “faba La Granja” is used, a white bean that is soft and buttery, grown in Asturias, of excellent quality and boasting a designated origin. The recipe is completed by the famous compango, that is, the smoked morcilla and chorizo and the lacón and bacon, which give this dish a unique and delicious flavor.

For those who still haven't dared to prepare these kinds of recipes because they think their preparations are a bit cumbersome, nothing could be further from the truth: you only need good raw ingredients, a good cazuela or casserole, and time to let the simmer work its magic.

Precisely for this reason these recipes are my favorites when I have guests or on weekends when I have pending work, since due to their simple preparation I only have to spend a few minutes on them, just enough to put practically all the ingredients in at the same time in this wonderful Le Creuset enameled cast iron casserole, ideal for this type of cooking, and let a low flame and lots of love do the rest.

Here I leave you the recipe, the one my mother taught me, the one I taught my daughter and with which I have enjoyed unforgettable moments.

INGREDIENTS (for 8 people)

• 1 Kg Fabas de La Granja
• 3 Chorizos
• 3 Morcillas
• 250 gr Lacón
• 1 piece of Iberian bacon
• 1 Onion
• Saffron
• Olive oil

PREPARATION

1. The night before we soak the fabas, covering them well with cold water as they will grow quite a bit. Likewise, we put the lacón in water to desalinate.
2. The following morning we put all the ingredients except the saffron, that is, the fabas, the chorizos, the morcillas, the lacón, the bacon and the onion inside a large pot or casserole, we cover everything with cold water and add a splash of olive oil.
3. We put it on the heat and let it start boiling vigorously. We remove the foam that forms on the surface with a skimmer and add a little water to stop the boiling, doing this a couple more times; this is what is called shocking the fabas.
4. We lower the heat and let it cook very slowly for about three hours depending on the quality of the fabas with the lid the casserole ajar. Half an hour before finishing cooking, we add the saffron that we will have previously toasted a little in a frying pan.
5. We present the compango at the table so each diner can serve themselves as they wish. You can also serve it in soup tureens, like those from Emile Henry or those from Le Creuset, both lovely.

Notes to consider:

• Cooking should always be at a very low heat.

• We only cover the ingredients with a couple of fingers of water above them; if during cooking we notice more is needed, we add a little more. This will help the fabas become softer and prevent the fabada from becoming watery.

• While cooking, do not stir the fabada with any utensil; simply shake the pot or casserole a little to prevent the beans from breaking.

• We don't add salt, since the compango provides plenty. However if needed, we adjust at the end.

• I have used the traditional round casserole, but the shallow casserole, the cauldron, or the Shallow Casserole type will work just as well for you.