Chickpeas puree with cod
settembre 23, 2011
One of the elements of the Tuscan cuisine that most fascinates me and makes me proud is that there are just a few rules, but they are to be regarded as a dogma. These rules describe concisely – through the pairing of ingredients, herbs and spices – our culinary culture and Nature’s seasons. These rules are interpreted by every family, according to their personal tastes and likes.
At home my mother is the strictest judge in the enforcement of these rules, which apply equally to stuffed vegetables and legumes – herb matches.
If the rosemary – intense and camphorated with a distant incense smell – traditionally marries beautifully with roast meat, baked potatoes and grilled meats, for us its flavour calls for chickpeas and a hearty sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper.
The cooking of chickpeas is apparently long, but actually it does not require any kind of assistance. If you organize yourself the night before to soak the legumes overnight, you can cook them the day after without too much trouble. No bans, however, to use pre-cooked chickpeas, provided they are of excellent quality… I recently converted to the legumes cooked in strict accordance to the rules, though, and I have to admit that there is no comparison, especially in simple preparations, where the flavour and the texture of the chickpeas are the protagonists.
The chickpeas purée is one of the dishes that most remind me of autumn, one of the first dishes that, with its warmth and creaminess, sign the passage to the season during which coming back home and finding a hot soup is synonymous of family.
- 2 cups of dried chickpeas
- 1 pinch of baking soda
- salt
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- black pepper
- croutons or dried cod to serve
- Soak the chickpeas for 24 hours in warm water with a pinch of baking soda.
- After this time, rinse the chickpeas and put them into a large pot with cold water and a pinch of salt over low heat.
- Cook them until tender: it will depend on the quality of legumes you choose, it can go from 30 minutes up to over an hour – removing often the foam on the surface with a slotted spoon.
- Let them cool down in their cooking water.
- Drain the chickpeas and blend them in a liquidizer with ½ of a ladleful of their cooking water.
- Heat 1 clove of garlic and a sprig of rosemary in a saucepan with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil: when the garlic begins to color and the rosemary to release it essential oils, before it starts to brown, pour in the chickpeas purée, stir and let it simmer a few minutes.
- You can serve it with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, freshly ground black pepper and a handful of nicely toasted croutons. If you’re searching for a more filling dish, serve the chickpeas purée with torn grilled fillet of cod.
Do you have leftover chickpeas? There is nothing better than hummus to use them!
Everyone has his own recipe, this is mine! Blend the chickpeas in a liquidizer or with an immersion blender along with a few tablespoons of their cooking water, a clove of garlic, a quarter of a red onion, a heaping tablespoon of tahini, a pinch of salt, freshly ground black pepper, a generous deal of extra virgin olive oil and some lemon juice. It is ready to spread or dip in in two minutes, creamy and inviting. You can serve it with a tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds, a sprinkle of paprika or a finely sliced fresh chili pepper, to add a spicy and fruity note.
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Posted in Autumn, Fish, Quick Recipes, Soups, Winter
Chicken and spinach patties
settembre 23rd, 2011 at 09:43
This chickpea purée looks wonderful. I bet it’s yummie too. I’m gonna make it! It’s good for my veggie taste!
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 25th, 2011 alle 21:15
it’s perfect for your veggie taste! we’ll try when you visit, we have a looong list of things to do!
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settembre 23rd, 2011 at 12:23
That dish must be very delicious! A tasty combination.
Cheers,
Rosa
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 25th, 2011 alle 21:20
thank you Rosa!
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settembre 23rd, 2011 at 14:20
I love eating meals containing chickpea a lot. I am pretty sure this one tastes great.
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 25th, 2011 alle 21:21
I love them, too!
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settembre 23rd, 2011 at 14:52
That looks really good. I love cooking with garlic.
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 25th, 2011 alle 21:22
thank you Curt, garlic is such a great combination with chickpeas!
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settembre 23rd, 2011 at 16:32
Very cool meal, I love cod and you did fantastic job Incorporating it with chicken peas..Love your photography!
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 25th, 2011 alle 21:25
you have to taste them together, so good! they balance each other!
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settembre 23rd, 2011 at 17:53
Mmm, I love hummus. I make it at home all of the time. My recipe is similar to yours, but I will certainly be giving this one a try!
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 25th, 2011 alle 21:29
which is your recipe?! I’m curious to experiment other recipes!
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settembre 23rd, 2011 at 18:27
This looks great!! I love the puree….delicious
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 25th, 2011 alle 21:31
thank you!
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settembre 23rd, 2011 at 19:50
Love the combination of the chickpeas and the cod…sounds interesting
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 25th, 2011 alle 21:31
thank you, you should try it!
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settembre 24th, 2011 at 06:25
I love cod and you did a great job.
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 25th, 2011 alle 21:31
thank you Christine!
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settembre 24th, 2011 at 15:14
Yes, there’s something about chickpeas that is incredibly satisfying. I love pasta e ceci… and hummus is incredible. I’ve never paired them with fish but I’m sure it’s delicious. Will try this for sure.
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 25th, 2011 alle 21:37
I love chickpeas with fish, you should try a chickpea puree with prawns! yummy!
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settembre 24th, 2011 at 15:29
Thanks for passing along this recipe, it’s so unique. I just posted about cod on a rutabaga puree, so I’m excited to try this one as well. I love how you talk about your relationship to your Tuscan culinary culture. It really comes through in this dish.
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 25th, 2011 alle 21:44
never met rutabaga before, but it sounds interesting, I’m coming to pay a visit!
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settembre 24th, 2011 at 19:22
I love chickpeas! We eat them in Israel all the time. Your puree with cod sounds lovely. I will have to try it out!
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 25th, 2011 alle 21:45
yes, it’s true, I’ve read they’re quite typical! do you have any interesting recipes to share with chickpeas? I would be curious to try them!
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settembre 24th, 2011 at 19:36
Hello there! I know that fabric
So funny to see that on another blog 
Looks great again! I love chickpeas
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 25th, 2011 alle 21:47
do you?!
I loved your fabrics from the first moment! I really wanted them, so happy to have conquered them in our prop swap!
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settembre 28th, 2011 at 09:46
Rosemary and chickpeas are an excellent combination indeed, and I agree with you that cooking them yourself does make a difference in the taste.
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 28th, 2011 alle 14:31
Thank you Sylvie! I’m so happy to see that an increasing number of people recognize the importance of a proper cooking, as the importance of high quality ingredients, obviously!
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settembre 28th, 2011 at 16:19
What a beautiful and unique recipe. It looks and sounds so comforting. I never would have thought of pairing cod with chickpeas like that, but it really just looks perfect!
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 29th, 2011 alle 21:55
thank you Carrie! you should try it and tell me what you think: it’s so comforting and delicious!
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settembre 29th, 2011 at 12:41
I love hummus, but have never made a dish like this. Now I need to try it; looks so comforting and it’s making me hungry: always a good sign!
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Giulia Risposta:
settembre 29th, 2011 alle 21:56
indeed: it’s always a good sign when you are hungry looking at a picture… should I mention your porcini salt??
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