Although this recipe is good for cold weather and famous during Lent in Spain, I am posting it now on a warm, sunny spring day three weeks after Easter. A student told me about this recipe last year during Lent, but I never got around to making it until this year. I have to say that I am very grateful to him for passing this delicious idea on to me!
The potaje de vigilia is a dish that is eaten in Spain on Fridays during Lent as its principal ingredients are garbanzos, cod, and spinach. The Spanish word potaje has the same origins as the English word 'potage' (or 'pottage'), which all come from the Old French word potage which refers to "that which is put into a pot." The word in Spanish, as stated by the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language, is another word for a soup. But this word is often used as an antonomasia and describes a soup made with legumes, vegetables, and other ingredients especially during periods of abstinence. The word vigilia comes from the Latin word vigilĭa, and one of its meanings that I translate from Spanish is, "a meal with abstinence of meat," hence the term potaje de vigilia: a pot of soup eaten on days of abstinence.
The key ingredient in this pottage is another legume that I use quite often in my cooking: garbanzo beans (or chickpeas). As these tasty legumes are not part of Midwestern American fare, I never really started to eat them until I came to Spain. Now I eat them a few times a month cooked in a variety of methods. I recommend them to you because of their great nutritional value — they are high in protein and dietary fiber, and low in calories and fat. Another benefit is that they are very filling, which is good for those of you who are dieting.
If you choose to make this recipe, I recommend making variations according to the ingredients you have available. It may be difficult to find salted cod, so just use fresh or frozen cod. You could even use another white fish or leave out the fish entirely. This healthy dish is sure to please you. After following my instructions you can "buy something with" a mess of pottage. Go ahead, take the challenge and follow the recipe I have provided below.
Equipment
1 large pot
1 large bowl
1 medium bowl
1 medium frying pan
1 chopping knife
1 colander
1 wooden spoon
Ingredients
400 grams of dehydrated, salted cod (I don't know if this is available in the States, you might have to just use fresh white fish)
500 grams of dried garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
3 tomatoes
4 medium carrots
1 large onion, plus another half of an onion
400 grams of spinach (fresh or frozen)
4 whole cloves
1 head of garlic, plus 2 cloves
2 small bay leaves
Cumin
2 dry ñora peppers (I don't know if this is possible to find, so if not just use sweet paprika)
Salt
Pepper
4 hard-boiled eggs (optional)
Water
Instructions
1. Clean the garbanzos with warm water and look for imperfections. Let them soak overnight (about 12 hours) in warm water and salt in a large bowl. Make sure you use a large bowl because the beans almost double in size.
2. If using salted cod, rinse off salt in cold water. Put it in a bowl with cold water and cover it. Leave it in the refrigerator overnight. Make sure to change the water at least three times. (I had it in the water for a total of 15 hours)
3. Peel the carrots and cut each into 3 pieces and take the outer skin off of the garlic. If using ñoras, take off the stem and remove the seeds.
4. Then peel the skin off of the onion. Cut the top of the onion off. Don't cut the bottom off, but cut the roots off to keep it clean and in tact. Make four cuts in a cross form without cutting too deep. Puncture the onion with the 4 cloves.
5. Put the onion with cloves, garlic, carrots, and bay leaves into a large pot with about 2 liters of water and bring to a boil. (You can add the ñoras to this boiling water to reconstitute them. Keep them there for a few minutes and remove them. Take out the pulp and reserve it for later.)
6. When the water comes to a boil, add the garbanzos and return to a boil (garbanzos should always be added to boiling water). Reduce the heat to a simmer. Be sure to keep an eye on the pot in the first 30 minutes of cooking because you need to remove the foam the garbanzos produce.
7. While the garbanzos are cooking we can prepare the other ingredients. Finely chop the other onion and the garlic cloves. Peel the tomatoes and remove the seeds. Dice them into small cubes.
8. Heat olive oil to medium heat in a frying pan. Add the chopped onions and cook until transparent. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
9. Add the tomatoes, ñoras (or sweet paprika), and a bit of salt. Cook until softened. (If using frozen spinach I recommend adding it to this mixture after the tomato has cooked a while)
10. Now you should go back to the garbanzos to check and see if they are cooked. They need to have a soft texture, but still be in tact (for me there is nothing worse than semi-cooked garbanzos). If they are fully cooked, first remove the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and carrots from the water. Then drain the garbanzos reserving all of the liquid.
11. Return garbanzos and liquid back to the pot. Only add enough liquid to cover the garbanzos by about an inch (if you like it soupier, add more). The important thing is that it be covered by liquid the entire time it is cooking. Add the fried mixture to the pot and cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat.
12. Meanwhile drain the water from the cod and rinse it a bit. Be sure to check the cod for any small bones. Now cut the cod into small pieces (you can vary in size depending on personal preference).
13. After the mixture has been cooking for 10 minutes, add the cod and a bit of cumin. It should cook in a few minutes.
14. Remove from heat, garnish with slices of hard-boiled egg, and serve hot with a nice big piece of bread. (I suppose crackers would also be fine.)
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Please enjoy! ¡Buen provecho!
