Old Clothes, An Exquisite Dish That You Can Prepare

Undoubtedly , “old clothes” is one of the most popular and traditional dishes in Spain. However, the recipe has crossed borders and has been adapted to different cultures. It is also prepared in Latin America, mainly in the Caribbean countries.

The traditional recipe has a different touch in each country that it is made. Many times, the introduction of a simple seasoning provides a special flavor that expresses the regional richness of each country. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that old clothes are a symbol of the cultural mix that makes up the identity of many peoples.

The legend about the origins of old clothes

Like every element of popular culture, old clothes have certain legends about their birth. The best known tells that a poor man did not have to cook for the guests who came to eat at his house. Desperate, the man opened his closet, picked up some old clothes, and hugged them lovingly.

By bringing them to the pot, his love for his family and guests was so powerful that it turned them into meat. Therefore, this dish  would be the result of the creativity and love of a humble man.

A simple and tasty dish

The basic foundation of old clothes is to take advantage of the leftovers of the traditional stew of legumes, meat and vegetables. Therefore, its preparation is very simple and does not require specific ingredients. What we have used in the preparation of the stew will be the base of the old clothes.

Traditionally, Spanish cocido is a stew prepared with chickpeas, beef, chicken, potatoes, green beans, and other vegetables. To add flavor and freshness to the dish, onions or garlic are often sautéed before reheating the leftovers from the stew.

Classic Spanish recipe

Ingredients

• 6 cloves of garlic (20 g).
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil (40 ml).
• Salt and pepper to taste to season.
• Leftover stew (legumes, meat, chicken, vegetables, etc.).

Preparation

• To start, we peel and cut the garlic into small pieces.
• Then, in a large pot , we heat the olive oil.
• Then, when it is hot, add the chopped garlic and sauté until lightly browned.
• Finally, add the leftovers from the stew and stir well so that they do not stick to the bottom of the pot.
• If the preparation seems “tasteless”, we add a little salt and pepper.

Cuban recipe

Cuba is one of the Latin American countries where old clothes are most consumed. Like the Spanish recipe, the idea is to take advantage of the leftovers of the traditional stew. However, the Cuban way of presentation and preparation give a special touch to the classic dish.

Ingredients

• Remains of the stew.

• Salt, pepper and cumin to taste.
• 1 medium onion finely chopped (40 g).
• 1 paprika pepper cut into pieces (30 g).
• ¼ cup of olive oil (100 ml).
• 5 chopped garlic cloves (50 g).
• Olives and fresh parsley to serve.
• Fried plantains and cooked rice to accompany it.

Preparation

• First, in a saucepan we heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic, onion and paprika.
• Then,  we add the remains of the stew and stir well.
• To season, we add salt, pepper and cumin to taste.
• Later, while the old clothes are heating up, we prepare a white rice and fry the ripe plantains.
• To serve, we add some olive slices and fresh parsley on top.

Old clothes dumplings, a practical and exquisite idea

Occasionally, we have leftover old clothes already prepared or we just don’t feel like eating them in the traditional way. A practical and tasty idea is to use it as a filling for some delicious fried or baked empanadas.

Ingredients

• Old clothes.
• Beaten egg for brushing.
• Dough for empanadas cut into discs.

Preparation

• First, we prepare the old clothes according to the instructions above.
• Then, we take the empanada dough discs and fill them one by one.
• Then, with the help of a fork, we seal the patties well to prevent the filling from coming out during cooking.
• To prepare them, we can fry them in hot oil or bake them for 20 minutes in an oven at 200ºC. If we choose to bake them, we must brush them with beaten egg so that they come out golden and crisp.

Now that you know this delicious and easy dish, do not hesitate to prepare it and take advantage of those leftovers that you were probably thinking of throwing out. You also have 3  recipes to choose the one you like the most and surprise your family.