Palencia vegetable stew (Menestra palentina)

The vegetable garden of Palencia offers a large number of products. Green asparagus, artichokes, carrots, cauliflower, chard, green beans, aubergines, zucchini or peas, among many others, are some of its most recognized vegetables. All of them, stewed with lean pork or beef, shape the famous Menestra Palentina.

Recipe:

To prepare the stew it is necessary to boil the chosen vegetables in plenty of salted water. It is necessary to do it one by one, without mixing them, since they require different cooking times. In the case of artichokes, it is recommended to boil them in a separate saucepan with a little lemon. In another saucepan, heat the oil and slowly sauté the garlic until it reaches a golden color. Then add the onion, which is simmered over low heat for about fifteen minutes. After completing the previous process, the ham is poured and sautéed, subsequently adding the white wine and the water of the vegetables until it begins to boil. Finally, the vegetables are added (some of them, like the artichoke, we will have previously coated them with flour and egg) and the parsley and it is kept on low heat for five minutes.