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 Reviews, recipes and news from the grapevine A soup which can be a meal on its own. Spring greens A Canarian restaurant can normally offer you a sopa, a thin soup or stock normally with rice or pasta or a potage, a thick and very filling soup which can be a meal on its own.  They are normally paired as in this recipe with bacon or fat pork, but if you prefer a dish with a good flavour and lower fat content you can substitute the smoked pork belly for smoked turkey meat and a chilli pepper. The beans used are brown and about the size and shape of a kidney bean. This dish also makes use of chayotes, also known as vegetable pears. They are a good source of amino acids and vitamin C and add juiciness to the finished potage. Potage de coles Ingredients • 500g spring greens • 500g beans • 250g smoked pork belly • 1 whole bulb of garlic • 1 onion • 2 tomatoes • 1 green pepper • 2 chayotes • Oil • Salt • Hot paprika Preparation 1. Soak the beans overnight in three times the amount of water. 2. To reduce the amount of fat in the finished dish and give a better texture, chop the pork belly into inch square pieces and grill until crisped. 3. Put beans and meat in a large saucepan, cover well with water, bring to the boil and lower heat to simmer. 4. Wash the spring greens well, removing all thick stems. Peel and break the potatoes, inserting the knife and twisting rather than cutting. This way the potato releases more starch to thicken the potage. 5. After the meat and beans have been simmering about 40 minutes add the potatoes, chopped spring green leaves, finely chopped onion and green pepper and the peeled and chunked chayotes. 6. Chop the tomatoes and put to one side. If they are added to any dish containing beans (including chick peas) too early the acid will make the skins harden. It is for this reason too that salt is usually not added until the end of cooking time in any dish with beans, apart from the very small varieties. 7. Peel the garlic cloves and place in a mortar with a good pinch of sea salt, a teaspoon of paprika and about two tablespoons of olive oil. Mash them together with a pestle. 8. About 50 minutes into the cooking time add the tomatoes and garlic mash and leave to simmer for approximately 10 minutes more. 9. The potage is cooked when the beans will squash between your tongue and the roof of your mouth and the potatoes break when pricked with a fork. 10. Like many thick soups, this is better left to rest or even made 24 hours before eating, but as it contains tomatoes which are prone to fermentation, it must be refrigerated. This article appears in the print edition 610 of Island Connections
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Canary Islands - 08.02.2012 - Yesterday's ugly scenes at Bilbao airport, where Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary had to be given a police escort after his provocation of former Spanair employees, prompted a furious reaction against the head of the airline by Canarian MP Ana Oramas. more... Las Palmas - 08.02.2012 - The snags preventing the release of tickets for the concert by rock legend Bruce Springsteen in Gran Canaria have now been resolved and the gig has been confirmed 100%, say the organisers. more... La Laguna - 07.02.2012 - A well-known Tenerife lawyer is the focus of police attention in a money-laundering and fraud investigation ordered by a La Laguna judge. more... Canary Islands - 07.02.2012 - Relations between the Canarian government and the new Spanish government sank further yesterday when the region's tourism minister was apparently snubbed by his national counterpart. more... Canary Islands - 07.02.2012 - Two Britons who had to be rescued again after getting into trouble on their bid to cross the Atlantic in a pedal boat could face a hefty fine for the latest mobilisation of air and sea rescue resources. more...    Banish the blues They tell us that this is one of the most depressing times of the year more...   | Elektronische Zigarette Kombiangebote Elektronische Zigarette 8,9cm mit der E-Zigarette Classic www.elektrische-zigarette.eu Holiday car Tenerife We have been in the rent a car business since 1976 in Tenerife. Our experience - your advantage. www.hermanns-cars.com Electronic Cigarette The Electronic Cigarette SLIM is recommended for smokers with few consume, occasional smokers and to go. www.liquid-shop.eu Real Estate Tenerife Tenerife Real Estate is your partner on Tenerife for penthouses, properties, fincas or business-pubs for the purchase and sale of villas, chalets, houses, appartements. www.teneriffa-immobilien.es ic media group |
