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1
Soak the Beans Overnight
12 Hours (Passive)
No heat — soaking
Pick over the dried beans, throw away any stones or broken beans, and rinse them in cold water. Put them in a large bowl, cover with plenty of cold water, and leave to soak overnight, for at least 8 hours. In the morning, drain the beans and rinse them again.
Do not salt the soaking water — salt slows down how the beans absorb water.
Done when: Beans plump and doubled in size after soaking.
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2
Cook the Beans
55 Mins
Boiling, then simmering, 100°C (212°F)
Put the drained beans in a large pot with 1 litre of fresh cold water and half the salt. Bring to a rolling boil, skim off the foam that rises, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 55 minutes, until the beans are tender but still holding their shape. Keep the cooking water — it is the base of the stew.
Skim the foam in the first 10 minutes — it is what makes beans hard to digest.
Done when: Beans tender when pressed between finger and thumb, skins intact.
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3
Make the Longaniza Sofrito
10 Mins
Medium-high heat, about 190°C (375°F)
While the beans cook, heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Fry the onion, carrot and red pepper for 5 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the paprika, cumin and oregano, then add the longaniza rounds and fry for 4 minutes, turning once, until the sausage is browned at the edges and its fat has run into the sofrito.
Add the paprika off the hottest part of the pan — it burns in seconds and turns bitter.
Done when: Vegetables soft, longaniza browned, the pan smelling of paprika and cumin.
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4
Simmer Beans, Pumpkin and Longaniza
25 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Tip the sofrito into the pot with the beans and their cooking water, add the pumpkin cubes and the rest of the salt, and stir well. Bring back to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the pumpkin is soft, the beans are creamy and the broth has thickened. Taste and add more salt if it needs it.
If the pot gets too thick, add hot water a ladle at a time — the stew should be spoonable, not stiff.
Done when: Pumpkin soft enough to break with a spoon, broth thick and brick-red.
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5
Cook the Rice and Serve
15 Mins
Boiling water, 100°C (212°F)
While the stew simmers, cook the rice in salted water until tender and fluffy, about 15 minutes, then drain and rest it for 5 minutes with the lid on. Ladle the beans, pumpkin and longaniza into deep bowls with plenty of broth, spoon the rice alongside, and serve at once.
Rest the rice with the lid on — it finishes steaming and the grains stay separate.
Done when: Rice fluffy and separate, stew steaming hot throughout.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Ladle the beans, pumpkin and longaniza into deep bowls with their broth, spoon the white rice alongside, and serve at once, with pebre and a green salad on the table.
Chile
35m
