Vigil Potaje. Chickpeas, with spinach and cod

How to prepare a vigil stew .

Surely you have ever heard the saying ” Don Carnal’s time has passed, Doña Cuaresma’s time has come, ” that is, the 40 days between Carnival and Easter .

We are a country of traditions that directly influence our customs and of course the dishes we prepare in our homes.

In Lent the religious tradition dictated the ” vigil ” or prohibition of eating meat, which in addition to these 40 days also extended to every Friday of the year.

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Whether we agree with these opinions or not, we must recognize that thanks to them impressive recipes have emerged, combining different ingredients from meat.

One of the most typical legume stew recipes these days is this chickpea stew , which is accompanied by spinach (seasonal vegetables) and cod .

Although for those who the subject of the prohibition to eat meat on Fridays has been left behind. I leave you with an adaptation of this stew with chorizo  just as good.

Before cooking. Cod, chickpeas and spinach

1. One of the important steps is the choice of chickpeas, you have them as a dried or already cooked legume and you can find various sizes.
2. The day before we put the chickpeas in warm water with a teaspoon of salt and leave them to soak overnight, usually 12 hours.
3. We must wash them afterwards to remove possible impurities and that no spoiled chickpea is strained that can spoil a tooth, I say it from experience. After that time we will only have to drain and set aside until the moment to prepare the porridge.
4. If you are going to use them already cooked, wash them very well without leaving any of the gelatin that surrounds the chickpea and add them at the end of cooking the stew, just so that they are well impregnated with the flavor of the rest of the ingredients.
5. I must admit that this type of chickpea already cooked and packaged in a glass jar saves a lot of time in the kitchen, although it is better to use them for other types of dishes such as a hummus or a salad .
6. Same recommendation with spinach , better fresh than frozen or canned. Tell you that you can also substitute chard, they are perfect for this stew.
7. To save time and the recipe does not take us 2 days, I have opted for a good quality desalted cod loin . We will ask the fishmonger to remove the skin, since in this dish we will only use the fleshy part of this fish. You can also buy it already crumbled.

Chickpea cooking

1. To cook chickpeas we can choose the traditional way, an hour and a half over low heat in a pot, or the most practical, using the express pot.
2. With it in just 15-20 minutes we will have the chickpeas ready. In the fast pot add a liter of water, 2 peeled garlic cloves, the bay leaf and the chickpeas already soaked.
3. We close, put on high heat and when steam begins to come down, lower to low heat and cook for 15 minutes.

Preparation of the sofrito and the boiled eggs

1. While the chickpeas are cooking we are going to prepare the sofrito. Finely chop one of the garlic cloves and peel the other. Peel the onions and chop them into a small julienne.
2. In a wide frying pan, pour extra virgin olive oil and fry the garlic over medium heat. As soon as it begins to “dance”, we see that it takes on a golden hue, we remove the whole garlic clove.
3. Add the onion and continue frying. We salt to taste. When it is poached, turn off the heat and let the oil cool down a bit.
4. Add a tablespoon of La Vera paprika dessert and stir well so that it integrates perfectly with the sauce. We reserve.
5. In a small saucepan we bring water to a boil. We cook the egg , which we will then use at the end of the recipe.
6. After the chickpea cook time. We let all the steam release from the pot before opening.
7. We pass the strained broth to another casserole next to the chickpeas (not the garlic or the bay leaf).

Cooking of the vigil stew and final presentation

1. We put this casserole over medium heat. When it begins to heat up, pour the sofrito and stir well.
2. We now add spinach in several batches, which will shorten in size in a short time.
3. We rectify with salt and leave to cook for a couple of minutes.
4. We break the cod into pieces that we can then eat in one bite.
5. Add to the casserole and move it “back and forth” (by the handles) so that all the ingredients are mixed. We go down to low heat.
6. In 5 minutes our stew will be ready, but in the meantime we will prepare the final touch.
7. In a pan with a little olive oil, fry the slice of bread (better if it is a bun). Round and round until golden and crisp.
8. In a mortar we toss the crumbled fried bread and the garlic clove that we had reserved. Crush and make a crush.
9. After 5 minutes from when we add the cod. We add the previous mash.
10. With this trick we will give the broth consistency and a very rich flavor.
11. We peel the cooked egg, cut it into small pieces. We add it to the casserole just before serving on the table. We serve very hot.

To enjoy this delicious spoon dish that feels great, even on days that are not so cold.

If you like this recipe, be sure to accompany it with something sweet, you can visit our special desserts and sweets for Easter and Easter .

Don’t miss the step-by-step of this vigil stew on the next album. This will be perfect for you.

Tips for a Potty Wake Stew

• This stew is not only to take during Easter, you can consume it throughout the year. Your body will thank you.
• Cod was a logical ingredient for this stew. Since it was the most abundant fish in inland areas, far from the coast. Good quality salted cod was always available at any time of the year.
• As for chickpeas , in Spain there are many varieties. Depending on where you live you will find one or the other. I particularly like the Castilian chickpea the most.  With a medium or large size, with a spherical shape and a very characteristic yellow color.
• I recommend that you use dried chickpeas, instead of the packaged or canned ones. With the dry ones we will also better control the point of salt during the elaboration. If you still use chickpeas already cooked, you must substitute the broth for cooking the chickpeas with a vegetable or fish broth.