Ingredients
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300 g dried Chickpeas
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100 ml cold-pressed Rapeseed Oil
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4 Garlic
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140 g baby Spinach
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1 finely grated Lemon Juice
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Sea Salt
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freshly ground Black Pepper
Directions
This is an easy way to add interest to chickpeas, which have an enjoyable texture but, let’s face it, a flavour that fails to excite after the first forkful. Here, a generous quantity of sliced garlic softens in warm, nutty rapeseed oil, infusing a mellow and sweet scent along with the spinach leaves, which wilt a little in the residual heat of the warm chickpeas. It all culminates in a side that suits spicy stews and tagines, anything featuring lamb, hogget or mutton, or crisp-skinned chicken thighs and white fish.
Cooking your own dried chickpeas from scratch is ideal, but garlic oil and spinach can still be added to good effect to 600–650 g tinned or bottled chickpeas. For a slight twist, if you’re lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, replace the spinach and garlic with a few handfuls of wild garlic (ramsons).
Steps
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1
Done
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Put the chickpeas in a bowl and cover with 3 times their volume of cold water. Soak for 10–12 hours, then drain and tip them into a medium saucepan. Cover the chickpeas with at least 3 times their volume of fresh cold water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 1½–2 hours, or until completely tender. Don’t add any salt. |
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2
Done
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Drain the cooked chickpeas well, reserving the cooking liquor (you need 3–4 tablespoons for this recipe; the rest will make a lovely stock). |
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3
Done
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Put the oil in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook gently for 5 minutes, allowing the garlic to soften and infuse the oil. (This could be done well in advance of draining the chickpeas.) |
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4
Done
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Return the drained chickpeas to the pan and gently stir in the spinach leaves, allowing them to wilt a little for 1–2 minutes. Add the garlic and oil, the lemon juice, zest and lots of salt and freshly ground black pepper (it needs plenty of seasoning). Stir again, spooning any oil and liquid from the bottom of the pan over the chickpeas as you serve. |
