Traditional stew with pelotas from La Vega Baja

The stew with meatballs from La Vega Baja del Segura is a traditional dish from our region. Like any other stew from Spain (madrileño, lebaniego, escudella, puchero andaluz…), it is a comforting, family dish whose recipe is passed down from generation to generation, never finding two identical versions, and even within the same area you will always find nuances. However, that's the beauty of these inherited traditional recipes, don't you think?

The stew with meatballs is a very typical Sunday family dish, but above all, in my area, it is a particularly Christmas dish, especially typical on Christmas Day. It is also very common to use the leftovers to make cannelloni on December 26, so besides enjoying a spectacular stew with its “peloticas” – as we call them here – the next day we look forward to the much-anticipated and delicious stew cannelloni.

To make this recipe, I always use my Le Creuset oval casserole, because although it may seem that content is more important than the container, I assure you from my experience that the difference between using a common pot and cooking in a casserole is enormous. Specifically, in this recipe both for the texture of meats, potatoes and legumes, and for its flavor, it is a piece that cannot be missing for this type of traditional slow cooking.

Cocotte ovalada Evolution Le Creuset, T&G wooden spatula, Mini-casserole Le creuset and Pallarès kitchen knife

Ingredients

For the stew:

• 500 g chicken breasts
• 100 g Iberian salted pancetta
• 150 g cured ham knuckle bone
• 230 g pork shank
• 1 peeled turnip
• 1 peeled parsnip
• 3 celery stalks
• 3 peeled carrots
• Medium potatoes (one per person)
• 500 g cooked chickpeas (*)
• Meatballs (one per person)
• 3 threads of saffron

For the meatballs:

• 200 g stale bread soaked (*)
• A good handful of pine nuts
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon flaky salt
• 1 pinch of pepper
• 2 large eggs
• Zest of one lemon
• 2 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
• A small handful of chopped fresh parsley
• 750 g beef and pork mix
• 250 g turkey or chicken breast
• A blanco (*)

Notes:

(*) Jarred cooked chickpeas work wonderfully in this recipe; however, if you want to use dried ones, you must soak them 24 hours beforehand and change the water regularly.

(*) A “blanco” is a boiled sausage typical of La Vega Baja, made from boiled minced pork, spices (clove), salt, pepper and egg. If you can't find it in your area, use any sausage with those mentioned ingredients for a similar result.

(*) The bread should be a firm country-style bread a few days old. You will need to crumble it and soak it in water, especially if you use the crust. Once the crust is soft, squeeze it very well and add it to the mixture.

Cocotte ovalada Evolution Le Creuset, T&G wooden spatula, Mini-casserole Le creuset and Pallarès kitchen knife

Preparation

For the stew:

1. In a casserole (I used a oval 27 cm), place all the ingredients in this order: meats (chicken breasts, salted pancetta, ham bone, pork shank); the turnip, parsnip, celery, carrots.
2. We fill the casserole with water and bring it to a boil over medium heat. When it starts to boil, we add the cooked chickpeas* and the potatoes. We will skim every so often until no impurities from the meat remain.
3. Let it cook over very low heat for at least 3 hours with the casserole covered. After this time, add the saffron threads.
4. Add the meatballs to the stew (the recipe to make them follows). When you add them, they should be covered by the broth, at least ¾ of the way, and let them cook for 1 hour with the casserole covered.
5. Once finished, serve the broth first (with or without noodles), with one meatball per diner, and as a second course, serve the meats, vegetables, chickpeas and potatoes in the center of the table, and each guest helps themselves as they wish.

How to make the stew meatballs:

1. In a food processor, chop all the meat. Once chopped, put it in a large bowl along with the rest of the ingredients and knead with your hands. You should achieve a homogeneous dough, neither too soft nor too compact.
2. Form the meatballs slightly larger than a ping-pong ball (be sure to press them well so they don't fall apart). Finally, refrigerate until ready to cook.

Cocotte ovalada Evolution Le Creuset