"Arròs amb fesols i naps"

If we had to name one typical winter dish in Finestrat, it would be “arrós amb fessols i naps” (rice with white beans and turnips). There's no home in the town that doesn't cook this on cold days. Mari Carmen Llorca Llorca shares this family recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation.
Ingredients:

*One glass of white beans (don't soak them)

*1/2 glass of lentils

*1 glass of rice

*2 carrots

*1 turnip

*1 parsnip

*7/8 leaves of chard

*1 potato

*A piece of lamb shoulder (from the centre if possible)

*A piece of white bacon fat

*2 "blanquets" (a local white sausage)

*Extra virgin olive oil

*Paprika

*Salt

Method:

*Half fill a cooking pot (an iron one if possible) with water. When the water comes to the boil, sprinkle in the white beans. After 15 minutes, pour in two glasses of cold water to stop the boil. When the water comes to the boil again, add the meat and white bacon fat. Let the mixture boil over a medium heat for one and a quarter hours.

*Once the meat and beans are cooked, add the vegetables and the lentils, pour in some olive oil and add a little paprika and salt to taste. Let it boil for another hour.

*When the hour is up and when the vegetables are cooked, add the glass of rice. Turn up the heat so some of the water evaporates but don't allow the rice to dry out, the consistency should be similar to a stew.