I made fried chickpeas and so can you
This dish was fun. It was also the first time I’ve ever heard someone say “wowee” over the humble chickpea. Fun fact: the ‘great’ statesman and renowned spoil sport Cicero was so-called because his ancestor’s nose had a growth on it that resembled a cicer (latin for chickpea). Find an ancient historian if they prefer Chickpea or Julius and you’ll get the measure of the man. Enough history!
Take a can of chickpeas. Or soak your own. I’ve gone off soaking my own beans after an unpleasant incident involving potentially uncooked kidney beans (there’s no Roman figure named after kidney beans, sadly). Heat a generous amount of oil in your pan and throw in the chickpeas and a diced chorizo or two. Let them sit until crispy, stirring once or twice only. The transformation they undergo is remarkable. If you’ve never had a crispy chickpea you haven’t lived!
Put the chickpeas and chorizo in a bowl, keeping the orange-y oil in the pan. You could eat the dish at this stage and you’d be pretty happy with it I think. Slice some garlic and fry that. Then, throw in a few handfuls of spinach, remembering it will wilt by 90%. Deglaze with half a cup of cider or sherry.
Make some breadcrumbs—I realised afterwards that I should have removed the crust from the ciabtta before making it into crumbs. If your food processor is plus fort then you mightn’t have to. Return the chickpeas and chorizo to the pan, mix up and shovel the crumbs on top. Put underneath a hot griller for a few minutes until toasty. Serve and add the obligatory fresh herb of your choice on top.
Simple and spectacular. The chickpeas are so good. The rest is just gravy.
Inspired by my new food hero, Bittman.
