El Madrid stew is undoubtedly one of the most popular dishes in all of Spain, although in reality, the recipes in different regions are somewhat different, but at the level of popular denomination, as it is better known as Cocido Madrileño, and we are going to refer to it since this dish is one of the most representative of Madrid’s cuisine, although in fact the mountain stew, or the stew of Maragato, similar but not equal, also enjoy great fame.
Some authors refer to it as an evolution of the “rotten pot” a medieval Castilian dish, but whatever it is, since the nineteenth century, the Madrid stew has its own identity and name.
The fundamental component of the Madrid stew is undoubtedly the chickpea, although many products are involved in the dish and admits many more if one wants to expand the recipe.
Apparently, chickpea was introduced in Spain at the time of Carthage, and is also a fundamental ingredient of Sephardic cuisine.
A non-exhaustive enumeration of the ingredients of the Madrid stew would include, in addition to water in sufficient quantity for soup, chickpeas, various vegetables (cabbage, carrots) and potatoes, meats and bacon, and some sausages, such as sausage, blood sausage.
Among the meats, pork, beef and chicken or chicken meat are included in Cocido Madrileño.
Of course, the Madrid stew is a stew, as they say, “blunt”, because it is not a diet dish, unless the diet consists of eating a small amount of food, if you are able to resist temptation, given the appetizing of it and also more appetizing in cold times than in summer for its large amount of calories, although each one is very free to eat it when you feel like it.
For the preparation of the Madrid stew, it is first necessary to soak the chickpeas in a container, a process that is usually started the day before and for which it is essential to add a handful of salt to the soaking water. Subsequently all the ingredients are cooked, except the vegetables and potatoes, all together. The vegetables and potatoes are cooked separately given that due to their lower consistency, they would not support the long cooking process of the rest of the components without falling apart.
The cooking time varies according to the container used, which were initially pots, later the express pot has been used that shortens the cooking time and lately, low temperature cooking systems are being used, not exceeding 90 ° C, which lengthen a lot the process but they maintain and enhance the flavor of the ingredients better.
The slow preparation greatly improves the result and even many experts say that the stew improves over time, being tastier the day after its preparation. Possibly because it helps a better mix of all flavors.
The cocido madrileño is eaten in “three strokes” or dishes. The first is the soup, the second is made up of the chickpeas together with the vegetables and the bacon and finally, the meats and sausages.
There is no doubt that the good quality of the Madrid stew depends directly on the good quality of its ingredients and of course on the chickpeas.
Since the Madrid stew is a dish with many ingredients and a long preparation, they are increasingly accepted and are increasingly sold and prepared and packaged in cans or glass jars, to heat and serve.
You can buy Madrid stew online through our Gastronomic Spain page and receive it at your home, in all European countries, and with free shipping for orders with a total amount greater than € 79.99 or € 89.99, depending on the country of delivery.
