Fabada Asturiana

The night before, place the Dried Fabes De La Granja in a large bowl, cover with cold water and soak for 8–12 hours; drain and rinse before cooking.

About 30 minutes before simmering, steep a pinch of Saffron Threads in 1/4 cup of warm Water to release color and aroma.

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, warm a few tablespoons of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil over medium heat and quickly brown the Panceta Curada and Chorizo Asturiano just to render some fat and color; remove and set aside.

Add the halved Onion and a few lightly crushed cloves of Garlic to the pot and soften gently until translucent—do not let them caramelize.

Return the browned meats to the pot along with the drained beans, one or two Bay Leafs, and the saffron with its soaking liquid; add enough additional Water to cover everything by about 2–3 finger widths.

Bring to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat so the stew barely bubbles; skim any foam from the surface and maintain a low, steady simmer—do not boil vigorously.

Cook slowly for 1.5–2.5 hours, checking every 20–30 minutes and topping up with hot Water if the beans begin to peek above the liquid. If the broth is too thin near the end, mash a few beans against the pot wall to thicken it naturally.

About 20–30 minutes before the beans are fully tender, nestle the Morcilla Asturiana into the stew so it heats through without disintegrating.

Remove the meats once the beans are just tender: take out the Chorizo Asturiano, Morcilla Asturiana, Panceta Curada and the Lacón Salado if you used a piece; slice them into serving pieces and return to the pot.

Taste carefully and season with Salt as needed—remember that the Lacón Salado and Panceta Curada are already salty, so add salt sparingly.

Let everything warm together for another 5–10 minutes so the flavors marry, then serve the fabada hot with crusty bread and a little extra olive oil if desired.