SLOW COOKING, FAST

 

Potaje is a slow-cooked Spanish dish, not exactly a soup nor a stew, containing legumes and vegetables, often with sausage or other cured meats. Potaje is different from cocido, another one-pot meal with legumes, because with potaje the broth is not separated to serve as a first course. This version of potaje, using canned chickpeas, is quick to prepare.

Icy winds from snowy northern Spain are whipping across the south. Winter is here, ahead of schedule (ski stations are open). I’ve pulled out the woolen sweaters and I want, right now, a big pot of soup, a potaje, the Andalusian comida de cuchara—spoon food—chock full of vegetables, legumes, and sausage. 

But with high electricity costs, I balk at slow-cooking the soup pot for a couple of hours! My alternative, a shortcut to potaje, is every bit as heart-warming as the original.  

Chickpeas and other dried legumes take one to two hours to cook from scratch. Using a jar or can of cooked chickpeas and thinly sliced cutlets of pork in place of chunks of pork or beef shin that need long cooking, I have my potaje ready to eat in 35 minutes. 

While I’ll make no excuses for cutting corners—I wanted hot soup now—in actuality I didn’t save money with the potaje-express. 

• The jar of chickpeas (570 grams/2 cups) cost €1.27. The electricity for 30 minutes using 2000- watt induction cooking (lowest afternoon rate* was €0.13/kWh) cost €0.065. Total for chickpeas and energy: €1.33. The soup was ready for lunch.

• 250 grams dried chickpeas to make 2 cups cooked cost €0.55. The electricity for 2 hours (€0.13/kWh) cost €0.26. Total chickpeas and energy for slow-cooked potaje €0.81. The soup was ready for the next day's lunch. (If I cook  a large quantity of chickpeas at the same time and freeze them in 2-cup portions, I save on the next potaje.) 

Thinly sliced pork cutlets cook quickly. Pork chops could be used instead of cutlets; after cooking, cut the meat off the bones. Spareribs cut into 2-inch chunks, a turkey leg or two, chicken thighs are other possibilities. For a vegetarian potaje—even faster—omit meat and sausages and increase olive oil to ¼ cup. 

Likewise with vegetables, swap out the ones you have available. If made with chard stems and chunks of pumpkin, the potaje is known as berza. The nomenclature has always confused me because “berza” actually means “cabbage” but it doesn’t contain cabbage. The soup that has cabbage isn’t berza but potaje de coles. Which, by the way, is excellent with kale instead of cabbage. Beans or lentils can be substituted for chickpeas. 

If you want a thicker, creamier soup, shortly before serving, puree some of the chickpeas and potatoes in a blender and stir the slurry back into the pot. Some versions of potaje include a whole onion, green pepper, and tomato. At the end of cooking time, they are skimmed out, pureed, and returned to the pot. Sometimes a sofrito of onion, garlic, and tomato fried in olive oil is added.

A heart-warming meal-in-a-pot, chock full of legumes, vegetables, pieces of meat, and sausage.

Andalusian Vegetable Soup with Chickpeas and Sausage

Potaje Andaluz 

Potaje is done when cabbage and carrots are cooked.

Serves 6.

8-10 cups water

1 tablespoon salt + more if needed

8 ounces pork shoulder cutlets

1 ½ ounce tocino (salt pork), pancetta, or bacon

4-5 whole, peeled carrots

1 small onion

2 cloves

1 stalk celery

1 bay leaf

8 ounces chorizo sausage

2 cups cooked and drained chickpeas (1-pound jar)

2 potatoes (14 ounces), peeled and quartered

18-24 ounces chopped cabbage (about ¼ of head)

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon sweet pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika)

8 ounces morcilla sausage

Sprigs of mint to serve

Bring pot of water with 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Add the pork cutlets, tocino, carrots, onion stuck with cloves, celery, and bay leaf to the pot. Lower heat to medium and cook 10 minutes. 

Add the chorizo, chickpeas, potatoes, and cabbage. In a small bowl combine the oil with the pepper, cumin, and pimentón. Stir in some of the water from the pot to mix. Stir the spices into the pot. Cook 10 minutes longer. Pierce the morcillas in several places with a skewer (to prevent steam from building up and causing the sausages to burst) and add them to the pot.  Raise the heat to a boil, then lower heat and cook until cabbage and potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes more. Skim the meat, tocino, sausages, carrots, and potatoes out of the potaje. Use kitchen scissors to cut them into bite-size chunks. Return them to the pot. Discard bay leaf, onion and cloves, and celery. Let the soup settle 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with sprigs of mint.

*More about saving on the electric bill  What to Cook When the Electric Bill Soars . Interestingly, since I wrote that in 2021, the most economical rates in Spain now are usually from 2 to 3 in the afternoon, instead of in the middle of the night. That's because more and more of Spain's power is generated by solar.

More versions of potaje, both slow and fast.

Andalusian Vegetable Pot (Berza)

"Gypsy Pot" (Murcia Potaje)

Canary Islands Vegetable Pot 

Lenten Stew with Salt Cod and Chickpeas 

Pottage with Kale and Beans 

Cuttlefish and Chickpea Stew

Shrimp with Chickpeas and Seafood Sausage

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS 

The Culinary Legacy of Spain

Here's the ideal gift for the cooks in your life--FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain. This is a fresh angle on the traditional cooking of Spain, with 120 recipes that can trace their roots to Moorish Spain. See below for where to order. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)    

 Order on IndiePubs (USA) 

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

***

Order on amazon (USA)

Order on amazon.es  (Spain)

Order on amazon.co.uk (UK)

Order on amazon.com.au (Australia)

POP THIS TART IN THE OVEN

 

Apple Tart with raisins, pine nuts and honey glaze.

With electricity rates still sky-high, I take advantage of slightly lowered costs on the weekend to do a lot of cooking. If I’m turning on the (electric) oven to roast a chicken, I’m going to do some potatoes and cauliflower at the same time. What about the other oven rack? How about an easy apple tart?

Packaged puff pastry (hojaldre) needs no rolling out. The cinnamon-infused pastry cream can be made a day in advance, so the tart comes together in the time it takes to slice the apples.

Use any variety of apple for this tart. 

Borders are puffed and crispy.

Apple Tart

Tarta de Manzana

You need about 2 cups sliced apples for this tart—3 small or 2 large apples or approximately ¾ pound. Peel them or not, as you prefer. Slice them thinly.

One sheet of frozen (thawed) puff pastry (about 8 ½ ounces) forms the crust. It can be square, rectangular or circular. (Mine was square.) Unroll or unfold the dough and place it, with the paper lining onto a baking sheet. You dont need to roll the dough thinner.

A honey glaze brushed on after baking gives the tart a burnished look.

A serrated slicer or a pizza-cutting wheel works well to slice the tart. Serve it with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired. The tart is best the day it is made, as puff pastry doesn’t keep it’s crispness with storage.

Makes 8 slices.

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed if frozen

1 cup pastry cream with cinnamon (recipe below)

2 cups sliced apples

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Lemon juice

1 tablespoon pine nuts

1 tablespoon seedless raisins or sultanas

Pinch of fresh thyme leaves or fennel seeds (optional)

1 teaspoon butter or olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Unfold the sheet of puff pastry and place it on a baking sheet. Leaving a 1-inch border around the dough, prick the surface with a fork. Spread the pastry cream on the dough, leaving the borders uncovered. 

Spread pastry cream, top with apples.

Combine the apples with cinnamon and ½ teaspoon lemon juice. Arrange the apples slices on top of the pastry cream as attractively as possible. Poke pine nuts and raisins around the apples. If desired, add a few thyme leaves or fennel seeds. Dot the tart with butter or drizzle with oil.

Bake the tart until the borders are puffed and browned, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven.

Brush on honey glaze.

Combine the honey and a few drops of lemon juice in a small bowl. Microwave on Medium for 15 seconds or until the honey is melted and thinned. Use a pastry brush to brush it on the apples.

Pastry Cream with Cinnamon

Crema Pastelera con Canela

The pastry cream can be prepared a day in advance of making the tart. Cover with plastic wrap pressed on to the surface of the cream so that it doesn’t form a crust and refrigerate. Stir smooth before using in the recipe.

You will need only half this quantity of pastry cream for the tart recipe. Save the remainder for another use such as cake filling, topping for fruit or pudding.

Makes about 2 cups of pastry cream.

¼ cup cornstarch

2 cups milk

2-inch cinnamon stick

Strip of lemon zest

3 egg yolks

½ cup sugar

Place the cornstarch in a bowl. Add ½ cup of the milk and stir until smooth.

Place the remaining milk, cinnamon stick and lemon zest in a pan. Bring to a boil and immediately remove from the heat. Skim out and discard the cinnamon and zest.

Add the yolks and sugar to the cornstarch-milk mixture and stir to combine well. Whisk in the hot milk. Return the milk-egg mixture to the pan. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens. 

More energy-saving recipes: https://mykitcheninspain.blogspot.com/2021/09/what-to-cook-when-electric-bill-soars.html

More recipes for desserts with apples:

Baked Apples with Málaga Wine.

Apple Cake with Honey-Wine Syrup.

Apple-Almond Olive Oil Crumble.

WHAT TO COOK WHEN THE ELECTRIC BILL SOARS

This week the cost of electricity in Spain reached a historical high--€140 for a megawatt hour of electricity. Almost every day for the past two weeks has superseded the previous day. (Why the spike in the electric bill? See below**.) 

I’m using the air conditioner as little as possible--mercifully, the temperatures have been tolerable. Next, I set out to minimize my use of electricity in the kitchen. No oven and minimal cooking on the (electric) stove. These two recipes utilize the microwave and quick-cooking techniques. (A pressure cooker or Instant Pot is another energy-saving tool as is an outdoor wood or gas grill.) I run the dishwasher after midnight, when the electricity rates go down.

Chicken Poached in a Pot

Pollo a la Cazuela

Small chicken poaches in about 30 minutes. Serve it whole or cut up.

A small broiler—the one pictured weighs 2 pounds 2 ounces—cooks in 30 minutes on top of the stove and uses less power than the oven. Two small chickens would cook just as quickly and provide more servings. Serve the poached chicken hot, just as you would a roast chicken. Or cut it up for cold dishes another day. 

Serves 2-4.

 

1 whole small chicken (2 pounds)

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 slices lemon

3 slices onions

1 tomato, cut in wedges

1 clove garlic, slivered

1 bay leaf

Sprig of thyme

Sprig of rosemary

½ teaspoon smoked pimentón (paprika)

¼ cup white wine

Pimentón adds color.

Sprinkle the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Allow it to come to room temperature.

Put 2 tablespoons of oil in a pot just large enough to hold the chicken. Place the lemon and onions slices on the bottom of the pot. Set the chicken, breast side up, on top. Add the wedges of tomato, slivers of garlic, bay leaf, thyme and rosemary. In a small cup, stir the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil with the pimentón. Drizzle the oil over the chicken, saving a little to use with the cooked chicken. Pour the wine around the chicken.

Place the pot on moderately high heat until the liquid in the bottom begins to boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low, so the liquid bubbles gently. Cook the chicken 15 minutes.

Uncover the chicken and carefully turn it, breast side down. Bring the liquid again to a full boil, place the lid on and reduce heat to medium low. Cook 15 minutes.

Test the chicken for doneness. If it has reached at least 145ºF in the thickest part of the thigh, bring the liquid again to a boil, cover the pot tightly and turn off the heat. Allow to stand 15 minutes. (If it does not register 145ºF, continue cooking 5 to 10 minutes longer.)

Remove the chicken from the pot. If serving the chicken immediately, brush it with the reserved oil with pimentón and serve accompanied by the juices from the pot. Otherwise, carve the chicken and store it, refrigerated, with the strained juices.

Serve chicken hot or cold. It's also good deboned for chicken salad.

Stuffed Peppers

Pimientos Rellenos

Bell pepper with meat stuffing, melted cheese on top, cooked in the microwave.

Split large peppers in half.

These stuffed peppers are cooked in the microwave. This turns out not to be as energy-efficient as I intended, as, due to size limitations, I had to cook them in two batches.

These peppers are enormous! For stuffing, they’re best split open lengthwise, one half per person. If you have instead those nice squat bell peppers, slice off their tops and allow a whole one per person. Optional: if you want to take the time, after the peppers have been microwaved the first time and allowed to stand, peel away the skins. 

For the stuffing, choose your preferred meat—beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey. I’ve used boneless ground chicken thighs. 

Rather than make a proper sofrito with fresh tomatoes, to save on cooking time, I used canned tomate frito, a simple prepared tomato sauce. 

Chop cooked eggplant.

Cooked eggplant takes the place of rice or bread crumbs in the stuffing mixture, adding bulk and preventing the meat from compacting too much. I “roasted” a medium eggplant in the microwave, scraped out the pulp and chopped it. 

2-4 bell peppers (1 ½ pounds)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 slice bacon (½ ounce), diced

1 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, chopped

½ teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon pimentón (paprika)

1 ½ pounds ground meat

1 cup cooked and chopped eggplant

1/3 cup white wine

¼ cup tomate frito (tomato sauce)

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

½ cup grated cheese

Sliced cheese 

Split the peppers open or slice off the tops and shake out the seeds. Place them in a microwave-safe dish and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave the peppers on “high” until the peppers are softened, 6-8 minutes. Allow them to stand inside the microwave 5 minutes. (If necessary, repeat with second batch.) 

Add grated cheese to cooked meat.

Heat the oil and diced bacon on moderately-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté them 2 minutes. Add the cumin, pimentón and ground meat. Fry the meat, breaking it up with a wooden paddle, until it begins to lose its pinkness. Add the cooked eggplant and wine. Cook, stirring, to cook off the alcohol, 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the grated cheese.

Cover with plastic wrap.

Place the peppers in the microwave-safe dish. Spoon the meat filling into the shells. Place a slice of cheese on top of each one. Cover the peppers with plastic wrap.

Microwave on High until the cheese is melted, 4 to 5 minutes. Serve the peppers hot or room temperature. If desired, serve with additional tomate frito (tomato sauce) on top.

More quick-cooking recipes:

Sea Bass Papillote in the Microwave.

Turkey Breast Adobo in the Microwave.

Microwave Chocolate Cake.

Microwave Zucchini and Cherry Tomatoes.

Tuna with Olive Sauce.

**Why the spike in my electric bill? First, in a rebounding economy, the cost of natural gas (which fuels many power plants) has risen sharply on the global market. Secondly, the cost of carbon dioxide emissions is soaring, driven by the EU’s ambitious climate policy. While the cost of natural gas will fluctuate, the Co2 cost will likely continue to rise. It is what power plants in the European Union pay to emit carbon dioxide. The EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), established in 2005 to incentivize reduction in greenhouse gases, entered its fourth stage this year with a time-to-get-serious increase in the pace of annual cap reduction. The move is in line with EU legislation to reduce emissions by at least 40% by 2030 – as part of the EU's 2030 climate and energy framework and current contribution to the Paris Agreement.

In June, the Spanish government reduced IVA (value added tax) on electric bills from 21percent to 10percent to somewhat offset the rise. But it looks like the only way to lower electric bills is faster conversion to non Co2-creating energy sources.