Rancho Canario

In Icod de los Vinos, on Tenerife's north coast, lives a thousand year-old dragon.

The locals call it El Drago Milenario. It stands over 20 metres tall and weighs almost 150 tonnes. Giant, solitary and magnificent, people travel from far away to see this most ancient of creatures.

However this is not a dragon of the fire-breathing, Game of Thrones variety.

Rather, the dragon of Icod is a tree.

And more specifically a dragon tree, a subtropical species of evergreen that is unique to the Canaries and the other volcanic archipelagos of Macaronesia. Previously abundant, the trees were once cultivated for their deep red resin - or dragon's blood, hence the name - which was used to make herbal remedies, varnishes and lacquers. Now their numbers have dwindled they have become a protected species in Tenerife, as well as a national monument and cultural symbol. The Drago Milenario is the oldest and largest living dragon tree in the world.

"It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him." Although Gandalf was referring to the gold-hoarding, pyromaniac type in the Hobbit, the premise is (almost) exactly the same for week-long holidays in Tenerife. So it was these two hobbits, inspired by wizards and thirsty for adventure, decided to hunt for the famous dragon tree of Icod.

Hopping into our hire car one Wednesday morning, we set off from our hotel in the sunbaked south of the island. After several hours navigating mountain passes and hairpin bends we reached our destination around lunchtime. The trip was well worth it.

Icod is one of a string of charming hilltop towns and villages along the northwest coast. The town itself cascades over the side of a steep hill, streams of cobbled streets that coalesce around pretty squares of old churches and trickling fountains. Jacaranda trees in full bloom provide splashes of striking violet against tall whitewashed houses and dark teak balconies. Schoolchildren in pale blue uniforms scamper home for lunch, a welcome reminder of the working nature of the town in this most touristy of islands.

The dragon tree can be found on the edge of town in the aptly named Parque del Drago, a tiny park overrun by little lizards and lush green plants. The tree stands like a lone sentinel, tall and proud, its huge roots plunged into the rocks and red earth from which grow hundreds of silver branches, twisted and gnarled with time. The whole stretches up to the sky before fanning out majestically into a giant green umbrella. On a clear day Mount Teide can be seen behind the tree, giving Tenerife's Smaug his Lonely Mountain.

After a morning chasing dragons in Icod, have lunch on the pretty Plaza de la Pila right next to the Parque del Drago, and order Rancho Canario - a bowl of hearty Canarian stew full of chickpeas, chorizo and beef.

Ingredients (serves 4)

400g beef chuck (cut into thick pieces)

100g soft chorizo sausage

400g chickpeas (if using dried, soak overnight in a bowl of cold water)

200g potatoes (peeled, diced)

1 medium yellow onion (chopped)

2 garlic cloves (chopped)

2 large tomatoes (deseeded, chopped)

3-4 tbs Canarian gofio or cornflour

1 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1 pinch saffron

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 bunch fresh parsley

50ml white wine

1 tbs red wine vinegar

100g noodles or spaghetti at thickness no.4 (for delicious fresh pasta click here!)

3L water

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Preparation (2h)

1. In a large saucepan on medium heat, add 1-2 tbs of olive oil and sauté the onions, garlic and tomatoes until soft (10min). Add the paprika and cumin. Add the white wine. Let the ingredients combine for 5min. Pour in the water along with the beef, chorizo, herbs, saffron and a large pinch of salt. Once the pan starts to boil, turn heat to medium and simmer for about 1 hour uncovered or until the sauce reduces by half.

2. Remove the beef and chorizo from the sauce. Set aside. Remove the herbs and discard. Next add the gofio or cornflour to thicken the sauce and stir in well for 5min. The sauce should have a gravy-like consistency so adjust if necessary (with more flour or more water). TIP: Removing the meat beforehand will make it easier to stir out any lumps of flour.

3. Add the beef and chorizo back to the sauce. About 20min from the end add the potatoes, chickpeas and red wine vinegar. About 10min from the end add the noodles or spaghetti (adjust depending on cooking time). Stir everything well. Adjust seasoning.

4. Serve piping hot with some crusty bread!

TIP: For great Spanish ingredients in Brussels check out Sabores De España (22 Rue Archimède, Schuman)