For Tomorrows Dinner: Ričet (Slovenian Stew)

I've made this dish many times and it is always a success. I first tried it on a trip to Slovenia with friend from various countries (including Slovenia of course). One of the days we walked for 2 hours up to the top of a mountain and there, on the plateau, was a wooden house that served as a restaurant for walkers.

Ričet is very similar to Irish Coddle, only instead of normal sausage, Chorizo is used. It's a hearty winter dish that is easy to make and a real comfort food. I'm actually getting hungry thinking about it.

Ingredients:

300g Barley

300g Chorizo Sausage

2 Litres Salted Water

1 Garlic clove (chopped)

1 Bay Leaf

1tbsp Garlic clove (minced)

2 Celery Stalks (chopped)

2 Carrots (chopped)

1 Onion (chopped)

1 Tomato (chopped)

2tbsp Lard

2tbsp Flour

1 Stock Cube

1 Cup Kidney Beans (I just use a normal tin of Kidney Beans)

2tsp Parsley (Dried or Fresh it doesn't matter)

Pepper to Taste

Method:

• Place washed Barley and chopped Chorizo sausage into salted water in a large pot. Boil for 60 minutes.
• Crumble stock cube into soup. Add Garlic, Parsley, Celery, Onion, Carrots, Bay Leaf, Tomato, Beans and Pepper and cook until tender.
• Heat the lard in a separate saucepan. Add flour and cook until brown. 
• Add this mixture to the soup (be careful it may spit when the hot lard meets the water). 
• Simmer for 10 minutes. 
• Enjoy!

The great thing about this dish is that is can last you for a few days. When it is cool it becomes really thick and solid so you can just add more water to it before you heat it back up. 

Hope you enjoy trying it. Let me know if you do and what you think.

Dr. D