Buttery parmesan-braised chickpeas
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
A little like cacio e pepe, the butter, cheese and black pepper come together with the nuttiness of the chickpeas to give a sublime taste.
If you don;t like spicy, swap out the chillies for some lemon juice.
Soak the chickpeas overnight if using dried chickpeas.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 1-2 parmesan rinds (60g), plus 80g finely grated parmesan
- 300g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in plenty of water and 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 red chillies, thinly sliced into rounds, seeds and all
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 250g baby spinach
- 4 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
- 100g unsalted, fridge-cold butter, cut into 2cm cubes
Method
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan).
Put two tablespoons of oil in a large, high-sided, ovenproof sauté pan for which you have a lid, and place on a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the garlic and cook for about 90 seconds, until it’s fragrant and just starting to colour.
Add the parmesan rinds, drained chickpeas, bicarb, 1.2 litres water and a very generous amount of coarsely cracked black pepper (give it about 40 grinds). Bring to a boil, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface as it does so, then cover and transfer to the oven for an hour and 15 minutes. Add three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt, and cook for another 30 minutes, until the chickpeas are very soft and the liquid has reduced by about half.
While the chickpeas are baking, mix the chillies, vinegar and a small pinch of salt in a small bowl and set aside to pickle lightly.
About 10 minutes before the chickpeas are ready, put the last tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat and, once hot, add the spinach in batches with a quarter-teaspoon of salt and cook for about four minutes, until just wilted, then stir through the parsley.
When the chickpeas are done, remove the lid and, while they’re still hot from the oven but not on any heat source, add a quarter of the butter cubes and about 15g grated parmesan, stirring until the butter has melted into the sauce. Repeat, adding a quarter more of the butter and 15g parmesan each time, until you’ve used up all the butter and 60g cheese.
Finally, add another very generous grind of coarsely ground black pepper. The sauce will by now have thickened significantly and coated the chickpeas. Top with the spinach mixture, the pickled chillies and their liquid, and a final sprinkling of parmesan, and serve with extra parmesan on the side.
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