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| Springtime vegetable cornucopia. |
On the market, a heap of peas of their pods drew me in. Now that I’ve no vegetable backyard (lamentably, because of rooting wild boars), I miss the pleasure of selecting and shelling peas, just a few to eat uncooked, a double handful to sauté in olive oil. The market peas, in fact, weren’t as contemporary and candy as these simply picked, however, nonetheless, they’d a springtime attract.
I added extra spring greens to my basket—fats artichokes, fava beans, leafy lettuce and spring onions. The entire fixings for pipeo, a vegetable stew from the inland village of Casarabonela (Málaga, southern Spain). That pueblo, on wealthy agricultural land within the foothills of the Sierra de las Nieves, has an annual Pipeo pageant (this yr, on April 22).
Pipeo is a plato viudo, a “widowed” dish, bereft of meat or fatty sausages. It as soon as was a thrifty strategy to feed a household, utilizing seasonal greens from the kitchen backyard, given substance with bread dumplings. Being vegetarian, it’s well-suited for Lenten meals, when observant Catholics chorus from consuming meat.
Pipeo is a stunning springy dish. Serve it as a starter, vegetarian foremost or perhaps a aspect.
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| This vegetable stew has artichokes, peas, fava beans, romaine and potatoes plus bread dumplings. |
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| Dumplings made from bread crumbs add substance to an all-vegetable stew. |
Springtime Vegetable Stew with Dumplings
Pipeo
The identify of this dish, pipeo, comes from “pipas,” which means “pips” or “seeds”, because the peas, fava beans and almonds are all “pipas.”
The dumplings, referred to as tortitas or pelotas, are first fried till browned, then cooked within the stew. I’d add some grated nutmeg, freshly floor black pepper, even some powdered ginger, the subsequent time I make the dumplings.
Add the artichokes to the pan first, as they take longest to cook dinner. Observe with the fava beans, lettuce and potatoes. Add the peas final. Tiny inexperienced peas, referred to as lagrimas, or “tear drops,” hardly want cooking in any respect. Use them to garnish the completed pipeo. The sauce for the greens is thickened with a typical majao, a paste of crushed garlic, almonds and fried bread. Make the majao in a mortar or pace up the method by utilizing a blender.
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| Pipeo is a dish with pips. |
Serves 4.
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup almonds
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 slice bread, crusts eliminated
½ cup chopped spring onions or scallions
1 tablespoon pimentón (paprika)
3 medium artichokes (18 ounces) or 4 smaller ones
5 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
1 massive potato (10 ounces)
½ romaine lettuce
1 cup (4 ounces) shelled fava beans
1 ¾ cups (8 ounces) shelled peas
½ teaspoon cumin
For the dumplings:
2 eggs, frivolously crushed
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup tremendous dry breadcrumbs
Olive oil for frying
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| Fry garlic, almonds, bread. |
In a cazuela, deep skillet or stew pot, warmth the three tablespoons of oil on medium warmth. Fry the almonds and a pair of cloves of garlic, turning, till they’re golden. Skim them out and reserve. Add the bread to the oil and fry it till golden on either side. Take away.
Add the chopped onions to the oil remaining within the pan. Sauté gently 4 minutes. Take away the pan from the warmth and stir within the pimentón.
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| Trim artichokes. |
Trim the artichokes by eradicating a number of layers of outer leaves. Reduce off and discard the highest two-thirds of the artichokes, leaving the bottoms. Reduce the bottoms in quarters. With the tip of the knife, reduce away the fuzzy choke within the middle. Drop the artichoke items, as they’re ready, into the oil within the pan.
Cowl the artichokes with 4 cups of the water. Add the salt and bay leaf. Convey the water to a boil, cut back warmth and canopy the pan. Prepare dinner the artichokes 5 minutes.
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| Make the majao. |
In the meantime, peel the potato and snap it into small items. Slice the lettuce crosswise. Add the potatoes, lettuce and shelled fava beans to the pan with the artichokes. Hold the liquid effervescent gently. Cowl and cook dinner 10 minutes.
In a mortar or blender, crush the fried almonds, garlic and bread with the cumin. Add the remaining 1 cup of water to make a easy combination. Add the almond combination to the pan with the shelled peas. Cowl and cook dinner 5 minutes or till the entire greens are tender.
Whereas the greens are cooking, put together the dumplings. Place the crushed eggs in a bowl. Add the minced garlic, parsley, salt and breadcrumbs. Mix all of the elements to make a delicate dough (add a little bit water, if wanted). Roll or pat the dough into (8 to 10) walnut-size balls.
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| Fry dumplings, then cook dinner within the sauce. |
Warmth oil in a skillet to a depth of ½ inch. Fry the dumpling balls till they’re golden brown on all sides. Take away them to empty on a paper towel.
When the greens within the stew are tender. Add the dumplings to the pan. Prepare dinner them 5 minutes (or longer for delicate and spongy dumplings). Let the stew relaxation 10 minutes earlier than serving.
Extra recipes for peas:
One other dumpling recipe for Lent:
