Berza roteña

Berza roteña is hearty meal that people have been cooking in Rota since the beginning of time, or almost. It is ideal for large gatherings because it tastes great. To avoid the meal being too heavy, serve with vegetables. Whether you decide to eat it as a first or second course, after a plate of Berza roteña you´ll only have room for a serving of fresh fruit, if anything at all!

1. After washing and cutting them into small pieces, place the beans, celery and Swiss chard into a pot. Cover with water and when it starts to boil, add the meat, bone, pork fat, morcilla (Spanish black pudding), oil and ground pepper. Wait until the beans are tender.

2. Cut the two potatoes into pieces, add them to the pot, and season. If it looks like there is too much stock once you´ve added the potatoes, remove some of it and keep it to one side in case you need it later on. Once the potatoes are soft, you are all ready to go!

3. When serving, place the meat, bone, morcilla and pork fat in a separate dish. Meanwhile serve the beans, celery, Swiss card and potatoes first. When there are only a few spoonfuls of the stew left to be eaten, serve up a little bit of each kind of meat. In Andalusia this is known as the pringá. The best way to eat it is with bread, make sure to mix everything together. If no one is looking, use your fingers. In public you should probably use a fork and only eat the bread as an accompaniment to the meal, even though it’s more than likely you’ll be tempted to get your hands dirty when eating this dish.