Canarian Stew

Traditional recipe in Tenerife

Canarian stew, as with most Spanish stews is in itself a whole menu. Above all, this is the case when its stock is also used to prepare a soup, which can be accompanied by a good escaldón de gofio (hand-rolled balls of toasted maize/corn flour).
The recipes may vary depending on the ingredients available to the chef or housewife at the time. Here we highlight a classic stew, but which without any qualms, can be prepared just as well if some of the ingredients are not available.

Preparation: In a large pot with water and just a splash of oil, add chunks of meat, chorizo (spicy sausage) and fat when the water is boiling.
Half an hour later, add the chickpeas and slices of corn on the cob. Once these have softened, add the French beans (or green beans), the cabbage and carrots (some people also add a tied bunch of herbs such as, thyme, bay leafs and later remove it, though it depends on your taste and is not essential). Wait a further twenty minutes before adding the pumpkin, the courgettes and the pears. Then a little later add sweet potato and potatoes. A few minutes before removing the stew from the flame season it with a crushed mixture of saffron, garlic and cumin. This is known as "templar" (fine -tuning) the stew and is essential to give it its true flavour.

Other details
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 kg of beef
A good chunk of fat
A good chunk of chorizo (spicy sausage) in pieces
300 g of pork ribs (fresh or previously desalted)
3 chicken thighs
2 cups of chickpeas, soaked overnight
2 or 3 cobs of corn in slices
A handful of French beans
1 small cabbage, closed and cut into quarters
1 carrot cut into thick slices
100 g of pumpkin
2 courgettes
100 g of sweet potato
4 or 5 potatoes
3 pears
Saffron
Garlic
Salt
Cumin
Oil