Brothy Chickpeas with Calabrian Chili

 

More so than a bean, a chickpea can really COOK FOREVER. Soak or don’t (!!!), it doesn’t matter because a chickpea will test your limits on how long you can wait for a legume to be tender. That’s why doing it in the oven, while you sleep and dream of chickpeas, is the (best?) way. The contents of this pot are austere, but not boring. To me, these chickpeas are a perfect simple side dish to any large format protein you’re serving, but they can also be used as a blank canvas for whatever other chickpea journey you’re on. Use them for a frizzled chickpea salad, crush them with some raw garlic and serve with fried eggs. The other day I turned half of them into hummus and it was the best I’ve ever made.   

YIELD — 6–10 servings

 

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried chickpeas (I don’t soak, but if you are a soaker, go ahead and soak) 

  • 2 large shallots or 1 large onion, sliced (about ¼”-- not too thick, not too thin) 

  • 1 head garlic, unpeeled, halved crosswise 

  • 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

  • 1-2 bay leaves or a few sprigs of thyme, oregano or rosemary 

  • Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper 

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

  • A few spoonfuls of calabrian chili (chopped, crushed or paste) or more crushed red pepper flakes 

  • Lemon, halved, for squeezing over  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 275°. 

2. In a large, oven-safe pot, combine chickpeas, onion, bay leaves and crushed red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper (about 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt, but could maybe use even a pinch more) and pour ¼ cup olive oil over. Fill the pot with water until the top layer of chickpeas is covered by about 2 inches of water (about 10 cups, pot dependent). Cover the pot (use foil if you don’t have a lid) and place the oven. Let cook (and don’t touch it) for 10–12 hours (if they go 11 when you meant 10, or 13 when you meant 12, that’s okay. These chickpeas are resilient). 

3. Once cooked, the chickpeas will be tender, the shallot (or onion) will be golden and caramelized, and the broth will be lucious. Transfer chickpeas and some of that glorious broth to a large bowl and spoon over a bit of calabrian chili or more crushed red pepper flakes, plus a nice squeeze of lemon. 

DO AHEAD: Chickpeas can be made 5 days ahead, kept refrigerated. Rewarm in their broth before serving.


newsletter, beans / rice / grainsAlison RomanComment