Caldo Verde with Crispy Chouriço and Garlic Oil
A restaurant-style caldo verde: chouriço crisped first so its red fat flavours the base, potatoes simmered in chicken stock, finished with golden garlic oil.
Method
Strip the kale from its stems, roll it tightly and slice it as thinly as you can, about 1 mm. Slice the chouriço 3 mm thick and the garlic for the oil paper-thin. Cut the potatoes 1 cm thick and roughly chop the onion and the soup garlic.
Spread the chouriço in a dry 3 L pot and cook over medium-low heat for , until it releases its red fat and the edges are crisp, then lift it out onto kitchen paper. Leave the red fat in the pot.
Add in this stepChouriço (or chorizo) 80 g
medium-low heatAdd half the olive oil to the pot with the onion, garlic and half the salt and cook over medium-low heat for , until the onion is very soft and sweet but not browned.
Add in this stepExtra virgin olive oil 15 mlOnion 1Garlic (for the soup) 2Salt ¼ tsp
medium-low heatAdd the potatoes, stock and bay leaf, bring to the boil over high heat, then turn down to medium-low heat, cover and simmer for , until the potatoes collapse on their own.
Add in this stepFloury potatoes 450 gChicken stock (low-salt) 900 mlBay leaf 1
high heat→medium-low heatFish out the bay leaf, turn off the heat and blend with a stick blender for 1 to 2 minutes, until silky. Season with the remaining salt. Keep the blade at the bottom so it doesn't splash.
Add in this stepSalt ¼ tsp
Return the pot to medium heat and, once it simmers, add the kale and cook for , until bright green with a slight bite, then turn off the heat.
Add in this stepKale or collard greens 140 g
medium heatPut the remaining olive oil and the sliced garlic into a small cold pan, then warm over low heat for . As soon as the garlic is pale gold, take it off the heat and tip it into a bowl; dark brown garlic tastes bitter.
Add in this stepExtra virgin olive oil 15 mlGarlic (for the oil), thinly sliced 2
low heatLadle the soup into warm bowls, top with the crispy chouriço and spoon over the garlic oil with its chips. Serve with toasted cornbread or rustic bread.
Add in this stepPieces of cornbread or rustic bread 2
Cook's tip
Crisping the chouriço first melts its smoke and paprika into the fat, which flavours the whole soup. Shop-bought stock can be salty, so add salt only after blending and tasting. Start the garlic oil cold so the garlic cooks evenly instead of burning.
Cooking it at camp
At the campsite, crisp the chouriço on the stove first, then slice the potatoes thinly, cook them until soft and mash them instead of blending. A stock cube dissolved in water works fine. Make the garlic oil in a small pan on low heat, sheltered from the wind. At home, follow the steps above.