Ecuadorian recipes
Spring Soup (Fanesca)
Ingredients
- 1 pound salt cod
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup cooked corn kernels
- cups cooked, chopped zucchini
- 1 cup cooked green beans, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup light cream
- 3 hardboiled eggs, sliced
- 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) butter
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- freshly ground pepper
- 2-1/2 cups cooked shredded cabbage
- 1 cup cooked baby lima beans or broad (fava) beans
- 1/2 cup peanuts, ground
- 1 cup Spanish fresh cheese or Munster, chopped grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup long-grain rice cooked in 1 cup milk and 1 cup water
- 2 cups cooked, mashed winter squash
- 1 cup cooked green peas
- 4 cups milk
- salt
Preparation
Soak the cod in cold water to cover for 12 hours or more, changing the water frequently. Drain the fish and put it into a saucepan with fresh water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until the fish is tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, and reserve the fish stock. Remove any skin and bones from the fish and cut it into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.
Heat the butter in a large saucepan and saute the onions and garlic until the onions are soft. Add the oregano, cumin, bay leaf, and several grinds of black pepper and saute for a minute or two longer. Add 1 cup water, bring to a boil, and add the cooked rice, corn, cabbage, squash, zucchini, lima or fava beans, peas, green beans, ground peanuts, the fish and fish stock, the milk, and the cream. Stir to mix and simmer very gently for about 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Add the chopped cheese and salt to taste. The soup should be about as thick as a minestrone. If it seems too thick, thin it with a little more milk and simmer for a few minutes longer. Pour the soup into a tureen and serve in soup plates. Garnish the servings with sliced hardboiled egg. Have the grated Parmesan cheese in a bowl on the table to be used as liked.
