{"id":4749,"date":"2026-11-02T22:26:37","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T21:26:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/?p=4749"},"modified":"2026-11-02T22:26:39","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T21:26:39","slug":"putxero-gandia-history-recipe-safor-winter-stew","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/putxero-gandia-history-recipe-safor-winter-stew\/","title":{"rendered":"Putxero de Gandia: history and recipe for the Safor winter stew"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>putxero of Gandia<\/strong> fills the house with the aroma of stock over some <strong>four hours<\/strong> of slow cooking, and is traditionally enjoyed on <strong>Thursdays<\/strong> in autumn and winter in Gandia and across La Safor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chickpeas, cardoon stems, hen, beef, <strong>blanquet<\/strong> and spiced <strong>pilotes<\/strong> wrapped in cabbage leaves share the pot until the golden stock is ready to serve with rice. The stew belongs among the <a href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/lesser-known-traditional-dishes-gandia-10-flavours-la-safor\/\"><strong>lesser-known traditional dishes of Gandia<\/strong><\/a>, made for cold days and family gatherings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Contenidos<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aefa9dec513e\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #e41725;color:#e41725\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #e41725;color:#e41725\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aefa9dec513e\"  aria-label=\"Alternar\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/putxero-gandia-history-recipe-safor-winter-stew\/#A_winter_stew_with_Mediterranean_roots\" >A winter stew with Mediterranean roots<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/putxero-gandia-history-recipe-safor-winter-stew\/#How_it_is_served_at_the_table\" >How it is served at the table<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/putxero-gandia-history-recipe-safor-winter-stew\/#Recipe_to_serve_6\" >Recipe to serve 6<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/putxero-gandia-history-recipe-safor-winter-stew\/#The_seaside_version_putxero_de_polp\" >The seaside version: putxero de polp<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/putxero-gandia-history-recipe-safor-winter-stew\/#What_to_drink_and_how_to_use_the_leftovers\" >What to drink and how to use the leftovers<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_winter_stew_with_Mediterranean_roots\"><\/span>A winter stew with Mediterranean roots<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The name comes from the Latin <strong>puls<\/strong>, a cereal porridge cooked in water in Roman times. Andalusi cooking added spices such as <strong>saffron<\/strong>, <strong>cinnamon<\/strong> and <strong>clove<\/strong>, along with cardoon stems. After the Christian conquest of the <strong>13th century<\/strong>, Valencian households took up beef and pork. In La Safor the recipe has passed down by word of mouth and remains a dish for Thursdays, Sundays and Christmas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>pilota<\/strong> gives the stew much of its character. The mixture combines minced pork, egg, parsley, pine nuts, lemon zest, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and black pepper. Each piece is wrapped in half a cabbage leaf and secured with a cocktail stick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_it_is_served_at_the_table\"><\/span>How it is served at the table<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The classic service divides the pot into two courses. The soup comes first, with freshly cooked stock and <strong>rice<\/strong> (between <strong>50 and 75 g per person<\/strong>). A platter follows with the <strong>chickpeas<\/strong>, the <strong>vegetables<\/strong>, the <strong>meats<\/strong>, the <strong>blanquets<\/strong> and the <strong>pilotes<\/strong>. For storage, keep the stock and the solids separately and reheat with a lid over a gentle heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Recipe_to_serve_6\"><\/span>Recipe to serve 6<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Soak the <strong>400 g of dried chickpeas<\/strong> for <strong>12 hours<\/strong> and follow the order in which the ingredients join the pot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Pulses and vegetables:<\/strong> 400 g dried chickpeas, 6 cardoon stems, 2 celery sticks, 2 leeks, 2 turnips, 5 carrots, 2 parsnips, 3 medium potatoes, 1 bay leaf, saffron threads, salt and 5 litres of water. You can add 500 g of pumpkin in chunks for a touch of sweetness; many homes in La Safor leave the pumpkin out.<\/li><li><strong>Meat and sausage:<\/strong> 400 g beef shank, 400 g hen or chicken, 2 blanquets, 100 g pancetta or fresh pork belly and between 1.1 and 1.2 kg of bones (knuckle, cheek and rib).<\/li><li><strong>For the pilotes:<\/strong> 750 g minced pork, 2 eggs, chopped parsley, a handful of pine nuts, zest of 1 lemon, 1\/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1\/4 teaspoon ground clove, 1\/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1\/4 teaspoon black pepper, salt, breadcrumbs to adjust the consistency and 2 or 3 cabbage leaves for wrapping.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shape <strong>4 to 6<\/strong> oval <strong>pilotes<\/strong>, wrap each one in half a cabbage leaf and add breadcrumbs if the mixture feels soft. Place the chickpeas, the bones, the hen and the shank in a large pot, cover with the water and skim the foam as the pot comes to the boil. After <strong>1 hour<\/strong>, add the cardoon, the celery, the leeks, the turnips, 4 carrots, the salt and the saffron, and keep a gentle simmer for <strong>1 hour to 1 hour and a half<\/strong>. Add the potatoes, the remaining carrot, the pancetta, the blanquets and the pilotes, and cook for a further <strong>1 hour to 1 hour and a half<\/strong>, up to about 4 hours in total. Cook the rice in part of the stock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_seaside_version_putxero_de_polp\"><\/span>The seaside version: putxero de polp<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Valencian coastal towns, fishing families make <strong>putxero de polp<\/strong> with octopus in place of the meats. The pot keeps potato, cardoon stem, cabbage and saffron, with the same unhurried cooking and rice served in the stock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_to_drink_and_how_to_use_the_leftovers\"><\/span>What to drink and how to use the leftovers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The stock tastes rich and slightly sweet from the vegetables and the saffron, with the spiced depth of the pilotes in the background. A full serving provides between <strong>600 and 800 kcal<\/strong>. At the table, structured reds from the <strong>Valencia<\/strong> or <strong>Utiel-Requena<\/strong> denominations (Garnacha or Monastrell) work well, with a Valencian <strong>mistela<\/strong> or an herbero to finish the meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Set aside some stock and solids for the next day: home cooking in La Safor turns the leftovers into <a href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/gandia-style-baked-rice-recipe\/\"><strong>Gandia-style baked rice<\/strong><\/a> or croquettes. The <a href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/fideua-gandia-history-seafaring-tradition\/\"><strong>fideu\u00e0 of Gandia<\/strong><\/a> stands as the best-known seafaring dish in the city, with the putxero offering an inland winter counterpart built around a shared pot.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The putxero of Gandia fills the house with the aroma of stock over some four hours of slow cooking, and is traditionally enjoyed on Thursdays in autumn and winter in Gandia and across La Safor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4746,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"borgia26_language":"en","borgia26_translation_group":"putxero-de-gandia","footnotes":""},"categories":[9,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gastronomia","category-historia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4749"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4749\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4751,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4749\/revisions\/4751"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}