Cachupa rica

Prep: Overnight (soaking beans) plus 20 minutes Cook: 1 ½ to 2 hours Makes: 8 servings

Cachupa rica (aka manchup) is a creole-style stew from Cape Verde. This version is adapted from Peterson Garden Project Cooking School in Chicago. The dried corn and beans can be soaked together.

2 onions, chopped 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil 4 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled 4 cups chicken stock or water 2 bay leaves 1 cup dried kidney beans, soaked in water overnight 1 cup dried lima beans, soaked in water overnight ¼ pound lean bacon, diced 1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper 1 cut-up chicken (thighs, breasts, drumsticks, wings) 2 pounds pork or beef spareribs, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 smoked garlic-spiced sausage (such as Spanish chorizo), sliced 1 inch thick 1 blood sausage, sliced (optional) 2 pounds plantains (not overripe), peeled, sliced 2 pounds hard squash (butternut, acorn, pumpkin), peeled, seeded, cut into large chunks 1 pound sweet potato or yam, peeled, cut into large chunks 2 pounds tomatoes, quartered 4 cups canned hominy, with liquid Sofrito (a mixture of sauteed onions, garlic and tomato paste), optional 1 pound cabbage, coarsely chopped

1

In a stock pot, saute onions in oil until translucent. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add stock or water, bay leaves and soaked beans, with 2 cups of soaking liquid. Simmer until nearly tender, 45 minutes. 2

In a separate saucepan and working in batches, cook bacon over medium-high heat until fat renders, about 2 minutes. Season chicken with salt and pepper; add to pot. Cook, turning, until browned; transfer to a bowl. In same pan, brown ribs and sausages; transfer to same bowl as chicken. Again in same pan, add plantains and vegetables, except cabbage. Cook, about 10 minutes. 3

Transfer meats, vegetables (plus drippings) and hominy to simmering stock. Cook on low, 1 1⁄2 hours. Twenty minutes before end of cooking time, taste and adjust flavors with sofrito, if using. When done, turn off heat and add cab- bage to top of stew. Cover; let rest about 30 minutes before serving.