michelle picker cooks

Here’s a hearty and flavoursome stew with Spanish roots. Serve it with crusty bread and a fresh green salad.

You can soak the black beans overnight or use the following quick-soak method. Add 1½ cups of black beans and 6 cups of water to a pot or pressure cooker and bring to a boil. Simmer for 4 minutes then remove from the heat and leave the beans to soak for 1 hour. Now you’re ready to cook. In a frypan brown 450g (1 lb) of skinless pork belly or pork short ribs. When they’re brown on both sides add them to the beans. Next, fry a chopped onion until translucent then add a small green pepper and a red or yellow one and cook for a few more minutes. Add them to the pot of beans. Now chop a chorizo of your choice, fry it and add it to the pot along with some chunks of carrot, 2 bay leaves, ½ a teaspoon of dried thyme, ½ of a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and ¼ of a teaspoon of ground allspice. If you’re using a pressure cooker, bring it to pressure and cook for 15 minutes then open and cook for a further 15 – 30 minutes to reduce the liquid. If you’re cooking in a pot, simmer over low heat for 1 – 1½ hours or until the beans are soft.