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Arròs amb fesols i naps
White bean and turnip rice stew
Arròs amb fesols i naps: Valencia's winter rice stew with white beans, turnips and pork
When the Valencian huerta turns cold in January, this brothy rice is what simmers on the stove for Sunday lunch: white beans, sweet turnips, chard and different cuts of pork cooked slowly with saffron, then rice added to the pot at the end, so it is a spoon dish rather than a dry paella. Each family has its own mix of meats; this version uses pork ribs, pork belly and onion morcilla. This contains pork (ribs, belly and black pudding). A common mistake is adding the rice too early; it should go in only once the beans are completely soft, and the pot should be served the moment it is done or the rice swells and drinks up the broth. Chef's tip: soak the beans with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda and start them in cold water; they cook more evenly and their skins stay on.
- Total time
- 175 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 9 oz dried white beans (judión or cannellini)soaked overnight in cold water
- 1 ⅛ lb pork ribscut into 5 cm pieces
- 7 oz pork bellyin one piece
- 10 ½ cups cold water
- 3 turnipsabout 400 g, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 7 oz Swiss chard (optional)stalks and leaves, chopped
- 2 onion morcilla (Spanish black pudding)about 200 g
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- 2 tsp saltto taste
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Drain 9 oz dried white beans (judión or cannellini) and put them in a large pot with 1 ⅛ lb pork ribs, 7 oz pork belly and 10 ½ cups cold water. Bring slowly to a simmer, skimming off the grey foam as it rises.
20 minStep 2: Cover partly and simmer very gently for 1 to 1½ hours, until the beans are creamy right through and the meat is tender. Add a splash of cold water if the beans peep above the liquid.
80 minStep 3: Add 3 turnips and the chard if using, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 1 pinch saffron threads and 2 tsp salt. Simmer for 20 minutes, until the turnips are tender when pierced.
20 minStep 4: Lift out the pork belly, cut it into chunks and return it. Add 2 onion morcilla (Spanish black pudding) and simmer for 5 minutes, until heated through to at least 160°F in the centre. You should have plenty of broth, like a thick soup; top up with boiling water if not.
5 minStep 5: Bring back to a lively simmer, add 10 ½ oz short-grain rice (bomba or senia) and stir once. Cook for 16 to 18 minutes, stirring now and then, until the rice is just tender but the dish is still soupy.
17 minStep 6: Rest for 2 minutes, taste for salt and serve straight away in deep plates, with a piece of morcilla and some of each meat for everyone.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 650 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does arròs amb fesols i naps take?
- About 175 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 150 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of sweet paprika?
- Smoked paprika, half the amount.
- What can I use instead of short-grain rice (bomba or senia)?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
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