Cabo Verde Cachupa
The Resort Group PLC is celebrating ten years of trading this year and we have had plenty to celebrate. As a nod to the country who has welcomed us and in honour of our ten-year tenure in Cape Verde, we present the delicious national dish. Cabo Verde Cachupa is a popular recipe that exists around the world in different guises, depending on where you visit, but it always tastes as good. Try making it yourself for a true taste of Cape Verde…
Ingredients
For 4 people
- 1 kg hominy corn
- 200g red kidney beans
- 200g green beans
- 900g white cabbage
- 900g chopped pork
- 250g chopped chicken
- 1 chorizo sausage
- 1 blood pudding
- 250g bacon
- 250g of peeled and sliced yucca
- 250g peeled and chopped sweet potatoes
- 250g peeled and chopped squash
- 250g tomatoes
- 250g green bananas
- 1 onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- Olive oil (as needed)
- Salt
- 1 bunch coriander
Method
The beans and corn need to be soaked in a bowl of water the day before for the preparation of this dish.
First, the corn is put in a pan full of water, with one bay leaf and a pinch of salt and then put in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes.
After this, add the beans and let it cook for another five to ten minutes or until everything is soft.
Meanwhile, in another pot prepare a stir fry with the onion, chopped garlic, chopped tomatoes, the other bay leaf and the oil. When the onion is cooked, add the bacon, the pork and the chicken. Add a glass of water and let it cook over a low heat.
When the meat is done, put everything in the pot where the corn has been cooking and add the chopped vegetables (sweet potato, squash, yucca, green bananas and cabbage), chorizo sausage and blood pudding.
Check the salt to taste and add the chopped coriander. Add a little more water so that the broth is not too thick and let it simmer until the vegetables are cooked and the broth is set – this should take about 15 minutes on a low heat.
Cooking tips
Special corn for cachupa can be purchased at shops specialising in Latin American products. If you want to reduce the cooking time, you can use the beans that come prepared in tins or jars. This way, if you decide to use them it is not necessary to cook them with the corn in the pressure cooker and they can be added at the same time as the meat and vegetables.
Read more about our ten year celebrations, find out our favourite memories or catch up with the Executive Chef who created this recipe. For more information, get in touch with the team via our contact page.