To be completely honest, I don’t know much about the Spanish island of Lanzarote, but when Thomas Cook Airlines invited me to participate in their Volcanic Rock Cook-Off, a cooking challenge, there was no way I was going to refuse. When I picture Lanzarote, I think sandy beaches, lots of fresh fish, a fair few local vineyards and food that holds up well in hot temperatures.
After doing some research on traditional dishes of Lanzarote, I settled on making Ropa Vieja. One of the reasons why I chose it, besides it sounding delicious, was the fact that its name means “old clothes” in Spanish.
Ropa Vieja
Ingredients:
1/2 kg of chickpeas
1/2 kg of beef
1/2 kg of chicken
1 kg of potatoes
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups of dry white wine
1 cup of chicken broth
2 teaspoons of paprika
4 springs of thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon of cloves
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
Instructions:
Soak chickpeas in water overnight.
In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Salt the water and add in the chickpeas, chicken and beef. Cook for 25 minutes and then remove from the water. Shred the meat.
Fry your meat and chickpeas on a volcanic slab for an authentic Lanzorate taste (or in a normal pan). Set your meat and chickpeas aside.
Start boiling your potatoes until soft.
In a large pan, saute your onions, garlic, tomatoes and pepper for several minutes. Once the onions are transparent, add in your broth, wine and spices. Then add in the chickpeas and meat. Stir and simmer.
While your main dish is simmering, fry up your potatoes. Once your potatoes are fried, add them into your main dish and serve. Salt and pepper to taste.
Searing meat on a volcanic rock slab- there’s a first time for everything!
***This recipe was written in collaboration with Thomas Cook. Take a look at their travel blog for some other great ideas!***
Have you been to the Canary Islands? What’s your favourite dish?
