Oh my god, this dish. It is really good, bursting with spice and savory flavours (with a little hit of sweetness from the red pepper), but even more excitingly, it’s totally unlike anything else. Well, maybe not totally unlike – I mean, all the ingredients are normal, and it even has the “holy trinity” of onion, bell pepper, and celery. But this is not a chili, even though it’s a bunch of beans and spicy meat – there’s no soupy or stewy… medium in which it sits. But everything is all mixed together, so it’s not like “chorizo with beans” or “beans with chorizo,” it’s just… its own thing.

The recipe comes from The Rauber House, and I’ve never been to Spain either, so I can’t vouch for its Spanishness, but I can vouch for its deliciousness. You’ve got the spiciness of the chorizo tempered by the creamy white beans, you’ve got the holy trinity’s flavour punch (and, for bonus points, a little crunch from the celery – it doesn’t quite cook out), and you’ve got the herbs, whole on sprigs, which gives you sort of flavour pockets where, say, some beans were sitting on some sage leaves for a while. It makes for good leftovers as well, and it smells good. It’s an all-around winner!

Chorizo and Cannellini Bean Skillet

Ingredients
1 tbsp canola oil
15 oz chorizo (if you’ve got the short links, that’s about 5; if you’ve got the long sausages that come two to a pack, maybe 3), cut into chunks
1/2 cup stock, I used vegetable but chicken would also be perfect
2 14-oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 red pepper, diced (the original recipe has it julienned, which would probably be better, but I need plausible deniability that there are peppers in the dish)
1 yellow onion, diced
3 stalks celery, chopped, and keep the leaves
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs thyme
3 sprigs rosemary
3 sprigs sage
salt and pepper

Method
Heat the oil in a big skillet over medium heat.
Add the chorizo and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.
Remove to paper towels for the time being.
Deglaze the pan with the stock.
Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes.
Throw in the celery and red pepper, and salt and pepper to taste.
Stir in the beans, the cooked chorizo, the bay leaf, and the herb sprigs.
Turn down to a simmer (even though there probably isn’t any liquid there anymore to simmer) for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

This is actually going in my “best things I’ve ever made” list, along with the Kung Pao Tacos with Ginger Green Beans. Not exaggerating in the least. It’s just that good.