Meat mains
Caldo verde with spelt bread rolls
This is a classic Portuguese dish. It's hearty enough to be a meal on its own and quick enough for midweek cooking. We've used spring greens but kale and dark green cabbage can also be used; anything robust goes in the greens department.
Cook's notes
We've finished the dish with a little of the chorizo oil spiked with extra smoked paprika for a final hit of flavour. If you don't want to use oil, add a splash of water instead and bring briefly to the boil, scraping the pan to deglaze it.
Ingredients
- 600g potatoes
- 1 garlic clove
- 200g spring greens
- 1 onion
- oil for frying, e.g. sunflower or light olive
- 300g cooking chorizo
- 500ml chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 spelt bread rolls
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- 25g butter
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Wash, peel and dice the potatoes into 2cm pieces. Peel and finely chop or crush 1 large garlic clove (if you particularly like garlic, go for 2 cloves). Trim the base of the spring green leaves and wash them well. Cut out the tough central rib stalk with a thin 'v' shape. Lay the leaves on top of each other, roll them up then
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Step 2
thinly shred the leaves.
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Step 3
Peel and finely slice the onion. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and fry on a low heat, stirring now and then to stop it catching, for 10 minutes. Add a splash of water if it looks like it might.
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Step 4
Meanwhile, peel the casings off the chorizo sausages and roughly crumble or chop them up. Heat a frying pan with a splash of oil. Add the chorizo. Fry the chorizo slowly, stirring often, for 5 minutes, then scoop it out onto a plate. Leave the remaining chorizo juices in the pan and keep to one side.
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Step 5
After 10 minutes, add the potato, garlic and chorizo meat to the onion. Stir for 2 minutes. Add the stock, 200ml of extra water, the bay leaves, a little pepper and bring up to a low boil. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the shredded spring greens and cook for about 8-10 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the greens have wilted and the potatoes are tender.
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Step 6
Put your oven on a low heat. Keep an eye on the liquid level and top up with a little water if needs be. Meanwhile, warm the bread rolls (if using) in the oven. When the caldo verde is ready, put the chorizo pan back on the heat. Add 2 tablespoons of good olive oil and the smoked paprika and gently warm the oil for a few seconds, scraping the bottom of pan with a wooden spoon.
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Step 7
Remove the bay leaves and check the seasoning. Divide the caldo verde between 2 bowls and drizzle over the chorizo oil. Serve with buttered warm rolls.