Stew (Puchero)

• 50g ancho Chillis
• 750g tomatoes, halved
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 4 meaty pork belly chops, about 1kg
• 275g red onions, peeled and sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 100g chorizo sausage, cut into 1cm in rounds
• 1 large red pepper, cut into 1cm wide strips
• 1 large yellow pepper, cut into 1cm wide strips
• 1 heaped tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 30g raisins
• 450g sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces
• 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, pinsed and drained
• 250ml water
• 15g slivered toasted almonds
• 15g flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tear the chillis open and remove the stems and seeds. Heat a heavy, dry frying pan over a medium heat, lay the chillis out flat on it and toast them for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, pressing down on them with a spatula, just until they smell aromatic. Remove them to a bowl, pour boiling water over them, place a small saucepan lid or plate on top to keep them submerged, and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat the grill to high. Line the grill pan with foil, arrange tomatoes cut side up on it and grill about 5cm from the heat, until soft and starting to blacken around the edges, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly and puree with the chillis in a food processor until fairly smooth.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy casserole and brown the chops well on all sides - be sure to get some colour on them as this is essential to the flavour of the finished dish. Remove the chops to a plate and add the onions, garlic, chorizo and peppers to the frying pan. Cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they soften and start to brown, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle in the oregano and some seasoning, and cook for a further 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato and chilli puree, raisins, sweet potato, chickpeas and water, then nestle the chops down into the sauce, making sure they are well covered with liquid.

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4/fan oven 160C. Cover the casserole with a lid or a double thickness of foil, and bake in the oven for one hour. Remove from the oven, give everything a good stir and check seasoning.

Sprinkle with almonds and parsley and serve immediately with rice.

This recipe was taken from Isabel Hood's book 'chilli and chocolate' www.isabelhood.com