Galianos are a shepherd’s stew, traditional of the Jaén mountains that border the provinces of Ciudad Real and Albacete; that is why they are also known as gazpachos manchegos. In this area, grazing was the main source of subsistence; in fact, the origin of the Galianos comes from the galiana (path where the cattle circulates). Thus, this was the dish that shepherds ate during the long journeys of transhumance. This also explains why the main ingredient is torta de pastor (shepherd’s flatbread) or galianera; bread made with wheat flour, salt and water, which they kneaded on sheep or goat skins to obtain round flatbreads.
On the other hand, galianos are a very complete dish, as they contain meat and vegetables, but with simple ingredients. It is usually made with rabbit, hare or chicken; this is accompanied by a sofrito which is the one that gives the flavour to the tortas de pastor. In short, it is such a traditional recipe that it even appears in Don Quixote.
Ingredients for the Galianos Recipe:
- 1 rabbit, hare or chicken
- 3 tomatoes or 350 g of crushed tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 head of garlic
- Galianera, torta de pastor or torta para gazpacho manchego
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
How to make the Galianos Recipe:
Torta de pastor, galianera or torta para gazpacho manchego:
- For Galianos, torta de pastor, galianera or torta de gazpacho manchego are a must. You can choose to buy this flatbread or make it, as it is not very complicated. Here is how:
- The first thing is the ingredients, only three: 250 g of wheat flour, salt and water.
- In a bowl, add the flour, water and a pinch of salt. Mix and knead for 10 minutes until it acquires a consistency similar to that of bread.
- Then spread the resulting dough into a round flatbread less than a finger thick. With the oven preheated to 200ºC, bake the torta until it browns and you are ready to use it in your galianos.
Galianos:
- In a pot, cook the meat you have chosen in water with a splash of olive oil, three cloves of garlic, the bay leaf and a pinch of salt. Once cooked (about 30 minutes), remove the meat, debone it and chop it up. Set aside the water from the cooking.
- Pour extra virgin olive oil into a large frying pan until it covers the bottom of the pan. Fry two chopped garlic cloves and when they are golden brown, add the crushed tomatoes (or peeled and chopped tomatoes). Add salt and pepper and let everything fry.
- Once the sofrito is ready, add pieces of the tortas (previously split into small pieces) and the meat. Stir and sauté. Put the galianos on a low heat and add, little by little, the cooking stock you had reserved. Add more broth as the bread requires it, taking care that it is not too liquid.
- The galianos will be ready when the broth has been consumed and the pieces of the tortas have become soft and spongy.
