Cocido (Spanish Stew)

Ingredients:
2 cans garbanzo beans (or chick peas)
a 4 pound stewing hen, quartered
2 pounds beef short ribs
1 pound smoked ham
5 quarts water
1 pound kale or fresh spinach, washed
2 leeks
2 large carrots sliced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Chorizos (Spanish sausages)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
2 cups raw rice
2 teaspoons Spanish Paprika
2 teaspoons tomato paste
 

Directions:
If dried chick peas are used, wash them, cover with water and bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes, remove from the heat, and let soak 1 hour. Drain. Combine the dried chick peas (if canned chick-peas are used, add with the sausages) chicken, beef, ham, and water in a deep, large pan. Bring to a boil, skim the top, and cook over low heat 1 1/2 hours. Tie the kale or spinach and leeks with white thread. Add to the pot with the carrots, tomatoes, and salt. Cook 30 minutes, then add the sausages. Cook 30 minutes longer.

Transfer meats to a heated platter, cover, and keep hot. Strain the broth, reserving all the vegetables and chick- peas; put on the platter with the meat. Heat the oil in a sauce pan; sauté the onions 5 minutes. Mix in the rice until translucent. Add the paprika, tomato paste, and 4 cups of the broth; cover and cook over low heat 20 minutes or until rice is tender and dry.

To serve the cocido, pour the remaining hot broth into a tureen. Arrange the meats on a platter surrounded with portions of chick-peas and kale. Heap the rice in a deep serving dish. The soup is eaten first, then the meats and rice. Serves 6-10.