To cook chickpeas
Unlike other pulses, chickpeas should be placed in hot water to prevent them from becoming hard (20 grams / 1 heaping tbsp of salt and 4 l / 17 cup / 7 pt of water at 60ºC / 140ºF per kilo / 2 1/4 lb of chickpeas) and cooked for at least 12 hours. Once they are soft, drain, rinse and place them in a cloth bag to prevent them from breaking up and losing their skins. Then cook in a hot, fatty broth at 60ºC / 140ºF. The resulting chickpeas should be soft, smooth and buttery and have their skins intact.
It is important to cook them in plenty of liquid. If additional water is needed during cooking, it must be hot as any slowdown in the cooking process will make the chickpeas hard.
Cook the chickpeas as explained in the introduction. Cool in a little of the cooking stock and refrigerate for 1 day.
Heat some oil in a skillet and add the chopped garlic. Add the shrimp and, when brown, cook for 20 seconds. Separate the oil from the shrimp.
Add the chickpeas with the broth to the oil used for the shrimp and cook gently to bind the stock. Then add the chopped parsley.
Soak the bread in the milk and add a little parsley, garlic and extra virgin olive oil. When the bread is soft, blend to a paste and paint stripes of this paste onto a sheet of ovenproof paper. Bake at 180ºC / 356ºF for about 3 minutes.
Serve the chickpeas, top with the shrimp and garnish with a breadstick.
Chef's Remark:
"The basic idea for this recipe comes from a dish my grandfather used to cook when I was a child. He liked to fry the chickpeas left over from the previous day’s stew, and I actually preferred them on the second day. In this case, they are served with shrimp."
Preparation by: Carlos D. Cidón
This is one of our restaurant’s emblematic dishes. The seafood flavors complement the buttery creaminess of the chickpeas and the perfect accompaniment is a white DO Rueda. The José Pariente white from Bodegas Dos Victorias, carefully made from Verdejo grapes, is a very special choice, bringing a fresh lightness to the palate.
