Cocido Madrileño

cocido madrileno
Originally uploaded by EatingVideo

I took the boy to Spain to spend some time speaking spanish. While in Madrid we decided to have some proper cocido. This is a dish that is all cooked in the same pot, but the ingredients are then served in sequence.
It starts with the cooking liquid, with small noodles, pretty much an awesome noodle soup. Served in a large soup dish, and accompanied by a selection of pickled peppers and olives.



The amount of soup could easily have been an entire meal, actually that is true of every portion of this meal. (we ordered for two!)



I ate two bowls of soup before the next plate arrived, the garbanzo beans with potato, carrot and cabbage



Everything was perfectly cooked. We remarked that the potato in particular was spectacular. Very flavorful and perfectly cooked. I think it is easy to throw everything in a pot but the skill is to have each ingredient cooked appropriately not under or overcooked.
Soon after the garbanzos the meats arrived.



Chicken, pork, morcilla, bone marrow, beef shank all super tender and delicous, and bountiful.
I was about to blow up satisfied and starting to bust into the meat sweats, yet the boy ordered dessert.



A lemon sorbet.

A great meal, good service.

Taberna de Buenaventura
Calle de Hermosilla, 69, 28001 Madrid, Spain

Sancocho

sancocho
Originally uploaded by EatingVideo

I had been craving sancocho for some time. This is a soup/stew starch heavy and typically made with multiple lesser cuts of meat, and mixed meats, chicken, pork , beef all comingling. I went with straight pork, but used a homemade chicken stock for the base.
Ingredients
(chop all roots + vegetables into cubes)
1 large yucha root peeled
1 sweet potato
6 small yukon gold potatoes
2 large carrots
2 large turnips
1 large onion
2 large leeks cleaned and chopped
6 cloves of garlic
4 pork shanks rubbed with salt, garlic, oregano, black pepper and left overnight in fridge

1 large can (20 oz) of hominy (this is not a typical ingredient, but I had been saving it to make pozole and said what the hell. Normally a couple of corncobs would be substituted)

3 cups chicken stock
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup of sofrito
salt and pepper to taste

I cooked it all outside as it was summer, and I could jump in the pool between doneness checks. The shanks were browned on the grill



We had bought them at the farmers market



Once browned the sofrito is sauteed in the cooking vessel (oven safe) and all the roots and vegetables (except the hominy) are added. I then put the shanks on top of the vegetable mix and cooked at approximately 350 degrees for an hour.



This way the fat and rub drips down onto the roots. After an hour I added the liquid ingredients and the hominy tasted and adjusted for salt and pepper and cooked for another half hour. After that I boned out the pork and returned it to the pot. You should have a very thick broth from all the starch with contrasting textures from the different roots and corn. The meat should be soft and easy to chew.



Makes for great leftovers as well

Hot Pot

Hot Pot set up
Originally uploaded by EatingVideo

I wanted to plan a fun meal, but also one where everyone in the family would and could eat what they wanted. We settled for a hot pot. I took my mother to Tan Am where we bought most of our ingredients.



beans and sprouts



Spinach and some chopped mixed seafood



chinese suasage and kelp (kelp cooked in the broth first)



baby bok choy and sliced tilapia



Egg noodles (I boiled them then rinsed to cool)



Precooked pork meatballs



Mushrooms (sauteed with garlic and sesame oil)



The stock I had previously made and frozen pork bone stock to which I added some shrimp shells, then flavored with lemongrass, lime, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce. sugar and salt to taste.



I had lent out our single electric burner so I placed the hot pot on a griddle. Everyone chose ingredients cooked or warmed them, armed with baskets.



The bonus of having the pot on the larger griddle is that you can also cook on the griddle teppanyaki style



At the end of the meal the stock has taken on more flavor and the noodles are added to the pot and eaten. We had great fun and discovered what is likely to be a new standard meal in our house.

Potato Soup

soup
Originally uploaded by EatingVideo

My wife really likes potato soup and I make it once or twice a winter, it keeps well frozen. My recipe changes a bit each time but I don't think I've totally screwed it up yet.

I typically use a ham stock, this time I boiled 4 smoked ham hocks with an onion, 3 garlic cloves, pepper, and a carrot.
I made the stock the day before and the next day I cut up the ham hocks



I tried toasting the skin over some day old bread with only fair results (I was hoping for something like a pork rind but they stayed kinda gummy the bread was good though)



I boiled some russet potatos (I usually cook around 1-1/2 per person which guarantees a lot of leftovers)



I roasted the the same volume of yukon gold potato cut up with the ham hock



I put together the soup by pureing the russet potato in the ham stock with a bit of cream, then added the roasted potato, ham, and a big crouton from the failed pork rind incident. The result...