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1
Brown the Meats
8 Mins • Brown
Medium-high heat, ~190°C / 375°F
Warm the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the panceta cubes and brown for 3 minutes until the fat starts to run, then add the whole chorizo and morcilla and brown on all sides for 4 minutes. Lift the sausages out and set them aside; leave the panceta and fat in the pot.
Do not slice the sausages first — cooked whole, they stay juicy and flavour the whole pot.
Done when: Sausage skins are browned and the pot base is glossy with red fat.
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2
Build the Sofrito
8 Mins • Soften
Medium heat, ~175°C / 350°F
Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion, red pepper and garlic to the pot and cook for 5 minutes until soft and sweet-smelling. Stir in the grated tomato, smoked paprika and cumin and cook for 2 more minutes until the mixture darkens and the oil turns red.
Keep the paprika moving in the oil — it burns in seconds and turns bitter.
Done when: The sofrito is dark red, thick and smells smoky-sweet.
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3
Add Lentils and Vegetables
5 Mins • Combine
High heat, ~200°C / 400°F
Return the chorizo and morcilla to the pot. Add the rinsed lentils, potatoes, pumpkin, carrots and bay leaves, then pour in the cold water until everything is covered by about 3 cm. Season with half the salt.
Cold water, not hot, gives a clearer broth and lets the lentils cook evenly.
Done when: Everything is submerged; the pot is full but not crowded.
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4
Simmer Until Tender
50 Mins • Simmer
Low simmer, ~95°C / 200°F
Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then reduce to the gentlest simmer, cover with the lid ajar, and cook for 50 minutes. Stir once or twice, gently, so the pumpkin does not break apart. The sausages must reach at least 71°C (160°F) inside and the lentils should be tender but whole.
A hard boil splits the lentils and clouds the broth — the surface should barely tremble.
Done when: Lentils are tender and whole; a spoon dragged through the broth leaves a slow trail.
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5
Slice the Sausages
5 Mins • Slice
Off the heat — pot at ~80°C / 175°F
Lift the chorizo and morcilla out onto a board and slice into thick rounds. Remove the bay leaves. Return the slices to the pot and stir them through.
Slice on the diagonal so each piece shows its full face in the bowl.
Done when: Sausage rounds are hot through, with no pink in the centre of the chorizo.
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6
Rest and Season
10 Mins • Rest
Off the heat — cooling from ~95°C / 200°F
Take the pot off the heat, cover, and rest for 10 minutes — the broth thickens and the flavours settle. Taste and add the remaining salt only if needed; the cured meats are already salty.
Guiso always tastes better the next day, so make it ahead when you can.
Done when: The broth coats the back of a spoon and the stew holds its shape in the ladle.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Ladle into deep bowls with a slice of chorizo and morcilla in each, and set crusty bread on the table — the broth is too good to leave behind.
Argentina
1h 25m
