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Fabada Asturiana

Fab is even in the name! This rich stew is a typical Spanish dish reigning from the mountainous and vastly green region of Asturius, in the north west of the country — and it wastes nothing.

The type of dish your grandma would make, it's packed with fabes (fava beans), various meats, and a heap of spices. It's the perfect pile-on of leftovers.

Ingredients (for 6 people):

• 1 large onion (peeled)
• 1 head garlic
• 1 oz.  dried fabes (such as cannellini, picked over, rinsed and soaked overnight)
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika 
• 1 large pinch saffron
• 1 oz. meaty fresh ham hock 
• 1/2 oz. slab bacon
• 1/2 oz.  dried Spanish-style chorizos
• Salt and pepper (for seasoning)

Instructions:

1. Drain beans and transfer to a large, iron casserole. Add onion, garlic, smoked paprika, saffron, ham hock, bacon, and 10 cups of cold water and bring to the boil. Cook for 1 hour 3 min.  until the beans are tender. 
2. Add the chorizo to the bean stew and cook until the meat is tender too. After 45 min. the cooking liqud hould be thick and slighty reduced. 
3. Discard the onion and garlic and transfer the meat to a bowl. Pull off the meat from the ham hock, and cut it into chunks. Cut the bacon and chorizo into pieces, and add the meat to the beans. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Enjoy a large bowl with a chunk of crusty bread.