Name: Fabada the Asturian Cassoulet (Fabada)
Yield: Serves 10 to 12
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper; 1 large pinch of saffron, pulverized in a mortar and steeped in 2 tablespoons very hot water; 1 teaspoon smoked sweet Spanish paprika, or more if needed; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed; About 1½ cups cold chicken stock or broth, or more if needed; 2 small bay leaves; 4 cups (about 1½ pounds) Asturian fabes (see Note) or white cannellini beans, soaked overnight or quick-soaked and drained; 1 piece (1½ pounds) good smoky ham, preferably with a bone; ¾ pound sweet Spanish-style chorizo sausage; 3 medium-size garlic cloves, smashed; 4 large fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs; 2 medium-size onions; 1 cut in half, 1 finely chopped; ½ pound morcilla or other blood sausage; 1 piece (½ pound) pancetta

Preparation info

Serves
10 to 12

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The New Spanish Table

By Anya von Bremzen

Published 2005

About

What paella is to Valencia, fabada is to the misty, mountainous Asturias region: a one-dish masterpiece that gourmands from all over Spain will happily travel to eat. Along with Brazilian feijoada and French cassoulet, fabada deserves pride of place in the pantheon of the world’s greatest bean dishes. And while even the best cassoulet can be somewhat sludgy and over-rich—not to mention staggeringly time-consuming—a well-prepared fabada will taste light and beauti