1457. SPANISH CHICKEN, BACON, MEATBALL and CHICKPEA STEW

makes 4 to 6 servings


1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
one 3-pound chicken, cut into serving pieces
½ pound fatty slab bacon
2 medium onions, sliced
2 medium leeks (white parts only), cut into thirds and rinsed well
2 carrots, scraped and cut into rounds
2 medium tomatoes, quartered
1 pound small red potatoes, peeled
1 chorizo sausage, cut into rounds
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ pound ground beef chuck
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil

Place the chickpeas in a saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer till tender, about 2 hours. Place the chicken and bacon in a large pot, add water to cover by 1 inch, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Add the onions, leeks, carrots, and tomatoes and continue simmering for 20 minutes. Add the potatoes and continue simmering for 20 minutes. Add the chickpeas, sausage, and salt and pepper and simmer about 15 minutes longer. Meanwhile, combine the ground beef, egg yolk, bread crumbs, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl, mix till well blended, and shape the mixture into small meatballs. In a skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat, add the meatballs, and cook till browned all over, about 15 minutes. Add the meatballs to the stew and simmer the With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken pieces, bacon, and sausage to a large serving platter, remove and discard the bacon rind, and cut the bacon into slices. Strain the stock from the pot into a large bowl and serve it as soup in small soup bowls. Surround the meats with the chickpeas and vegetables and serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Bacon Cookbook: More than 150 Recipes from Around the World for Everyone's Favorite Food by James Villas. Wiley, 2007