Fresh beans with shrimp

This homemade spoon dish is one of my favorites, fresh beans with shrimps, are a delight and a pleasure for the palate. Of course, the pocha bean season ends soon, in mid-autumn.

But one option would be to make this dish with some good white beans, of the variety you like the most or the ones you have on hand.

Did you know that the Navarra and La Rioja are the areas with a great tradition of pochas? Harvesting can begin in July and last until mid-October, with the best quality being harvested from mid-September onwards.

But here's a trick, buy them fresh and freeze them, and then thaw them and they are almost intact!

INGREDIENTS: ( 4 to 6 servings)

• 400 gr of fresh pocha beans (you can also use white beans)
• 12-16 peeled shrimps (according to size)
• 2 onions 
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1 carrot
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon tomato concentrate
• A few strands of saffron
• 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper 
• Fish and/or seafood broth
• 50 ml brandy
• Optional: fresh parsley

RECIPE ELABORATION STEP BY STEP: (pincha para see video-recipe)

1. The fresh pochas do not need to be soaked because they are not dry. But you have to peel them one by one and remove a thin skin they have.
2. Then we peel and chop the garlic cloves, one onion and the peppers.
3. In a pot or saucepan, put a drizzle of oil, covering the bottom, about four tablespoons of oil. Heat and brown the garlic. Do not let it burn, otherwise it will be bitter. Then add the chopped vegetables, a teaspoon of salt and stir. Let poach over medium-low heat, fifteen minutes.
4. Meanwhile peel the carrot and onion and cut in half.
5. Then add the saffron and the paprika, stir, and then the tomato and stir again so that everything is well integrated. Add a splash of brandy, turn up the heat, stir and put all the sauce in a blender or thurmixer.
6. In the same pot, turn up the heat and pour in shrimp peeled and salpiment,ados and cook for 2 minutes. Reserve in another dish.
7. Put the beans in a colander and under cold running water. Drain well and incorporate them into the same pot. .
8. Pour the broth until the beans are well covered, about a finger thick (about 1 cm) on top (keep in mind that during cooking water will evaporate so we do not want them to be dry and not too liquid).
9. Add the bay leaf, the two pieces of carrot and onion and another teaspoon of salt and put the lid on. Turn the heat to high until it boils and then turn it down to medium-low heat and let it cook for 35-45 minutes or until you see that they are tender. Be careful, it depends on the freshness of the beans and also each pot is different, and it is not the same to cook in vitroceramic, induction or gas, so this time could vary.
10. Therefore, it is important that you test if they are tender and if the salt is right. If not, leave more time and add more salt or not.
11. When they are ready, with the help of a spoon remove the onion and carrot and a spoonful of beans and put it in the glass with the sofrito, and blend.
12. Pour this mixture into the pot with the beans, stir and let it cook for five minutes, you will see that it thickens and takes texture.
13. Finally add the shrimp, stir, cook for a couple of minutes and ready! You can optionally add a little chopped fresh parsley.

When you try these fresh beans with shrimps, you will want to eat them every week!

I remind you that you can receive my balanced and varied menus, a different one every week, and designed according to WHO recommendations, as well as the step-by-step recipes, which I publish every week on my instagram @cocinayviajes  , where you will also find many other recipes, as well as step-by-step videos on how to make them and a lot of recommendations of trips, restaurants, products, etc.

I encourage you to follow me to learn to eat well or better !

With all my love,

Mireia Alum