Vegetarian feijoada

Step 1: Drain the soaked 1 ⅛ lb dried black beans and rinse them. Soaking overnight (8–12 hours) halves the cooking time and helps the beans cook evenly, so they turn creamy rather than splitting.

Step 2: Put the beans in a large heavy pot with the 3 bay leaves and 8 ¼ cups water. Bring to the boil, skim off the grey foam, then lower the heat and simmer, half covered, for 45–60 minutes until the beans are just tender when squeezed between two fingers. Don't salt yet; salt early can keep the skins tough.

Step 3: While the beans cook, heat half the 2 tbsp olive oil in a wide frying pan over a high heat. Add the 14 oz chestnut or shiitake mushrooms in a single layer and leave them alone for 3–4 minutes, until they're deeply browned underneath, then toss and brown the other side. Crowding the pan makes them steam and go grey; brown them in two batches if you need to. This browning stands in for the smoked meat, so take it far.

Step 4: Turn the pan to medium, add the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and the 2 onions and fry for 6–8 minutes, until soft and golden at the edges. Add the 6 garlic cloves, 2 tsp smoked paprika and 1 tsp ground cumin and stir for 1 minute until it smells smoky and sweet, without letting the garlic brown. Stir in the 1 tbsp tomato purée for another minute.

Step 5: Tip the onion and mushroom mixture into the bean pot, along with the 14 oz sweet potato and 2 carrots. Scrape the frying pan out with a splash of the bean liquid so none of the browned bits are wasted.

Step 6: Simmer uncovered over a low-medium heat for 25–30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sweet potato is very tender and starting to break at the edges. Add a little hot water if the stew gets thicker than a loose porridge.

Step 7: Scoop out a ladleful of beans, mash them against the side of the pot with the back of the ladle and stir back in. Season with the 2 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and simmer 5 minutes more. The broth should turn dark, glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon.

Step 8: Fish out the bay leaves and scatter over the 3 spring onions. Serve with cooked white rice, couve à mineira (garlicky shredded greens), farofa (toasted manioc meal) and slices of 2 oranges on the side. Like all feijoada, it tastes even better the next day.