I’ve still got Barcelona on the mind! I keep meaning to get to Bar Pinotxo at La Boqueria to try their famous chickpea dishes (usually with morcilla, a Spanish black sausage, and raisins or apple) but I’ve never been able to wake myself up early enough (I’m under the impression that it’s less crowded early in the morning). We had some leftover chickpeas one night and the thought sprung to my mind to create a similar dish at home.
This recipe is based on this video I found which shows one of the cooks at Bar Pinotxo preparing the dish. I’ve had to tweak it somewhat to use ingredients that I can easily get here and of course, I have no idea how mine compares to the real thing. One thing I do know – it’s mighty tasty with the creamy chickpeas and savoury pork mingling with the sweet raisins and nutty pine nuts and a bowlful makes a fine supper with a small hunk of bread alongside.
Chickpeas with Sausage, Raisins and Pine Nuts
serves 2-3.
2 tbsps olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 pork sausages
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup pinenuts
1 tsp dried oregano
a pinch of dried thyme
1-2 tbsps chopped flat leaf parsley
500g cooked chickpeas
salt
2 tsps balsamic vinegar
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and pour in the oil when hot. Add the onions and cook them slowly until golden, about 10 minutes.
Peel the sausages and add the filling to the pan. Add the raisins, pine nuts, oregano and thyme in too. Fry, stirring and mashing the meat constantly – you want the meat to crumble to little bits. When the meat has cooked through, add the parsley and stir through. If it’s starting to look a bit too dry, you can toss in a bit of water at this time (a bit only!).
Add the chickpeas and stir to combine well. Let cook for another 5 or so minutes, stirring often. The chickpeas are precooked so you just want to heat them up here. When hot, take the pan off the heat, season with salt and pour in the balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Stir through well and serve.
On a somewhat related note, I purchased these fresh chickpeas at a shop on Ealing Road near Wembley this past weekend. I wasn’t too sure how to prepare them so I boiled them for a few minutes, as I would edamame. Unlike edamame though, there are only one or two chickpeas per pod.
The pods collected lots of water and with a gentle squeeze, they’d shoot out jets of hot water. Sure it was a bit dangerous but we were rewarded with tender green chickpeas that made for a nice pre-dinner nibble.
Thu, 20 Jan, 2011 at 22:42
wow I’ve never seen fresh chickpeas before. Could you have used them in the dish as well?
Thu, 20 Jan, 2011 at 23:30
this sounds delicious! I use this recipe and serve cold during summer and warm during the cold months, you should give it a try
Thu, 20 Jan, 2011 at 23:31
It didn’t seem to link: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/06/dinner-tonight-fragrant-tuna-and-chickpea-salad-recipe.html
Thu, 20 Jan, 2011 at 23:38
Your visit to Barcelona is the trip that keeps giving! Not that I’m complaining!!
Fri, 21 Jan, 2011 at 06:38
I’m saving this recipe as a must try… But I’m intrigued by the fresh chickpeas. I’ve never seen them before and just wondering where can I source some. As I like edename beans alot. Thanks.
Fri, 21 Jan, 2011 at 07:42
Nice one, Su-Lin. I’ll be having a crack at this over the weekend. However, being a wuss, I shall be using tinned chickpeas. And chorizo. And no raisins (raisins are horrible. I am right and the rest of the world is wrong). And probably some lemon juice.
Those fresh chickpeas look interesting. However, they also look like more than a bit of a pfaff. Beware of foodstuffs that squirt at you, as my Dear Old Gran used to say.
Happy New Year (he said, belatedly)
Fri, 21 Jan, 2011 at 09:30
I have got to try this!
Fri, 21 Jan, 2011 at 09:47
This sounds great, I love chickpeas, gotta try it out now!
http://itsonlysight.blogspot.com/
Fri, 21 Jan, 2011 at 10:44
Great idea to recreate the dish you have heard of at a restaurant and I am sure you have given it your own unique spin (whether unintentioned or not!)
Fri, 21 Jan, 2011 at 12:55
Sounds simply delicious and must immediately be tried out at home seeing as it looks reasonably healthy and thus January diet friendly. Although my wife (Lolli) didn’t used to be that keen on dried fruit in savoury dishes, since exploring North African and Middle Eastern cuisine, as long as its not overbearing, the sweetness is often highly complementary to spcie and salt components in this type of cooking.
I did see fresh chickpeas once before so thanks for posting about how you prepped them. “Shooting jets of hot water” certainly sounds like fun!
Sat, 22 Jan, 2011 at 20:51
It sounds amazing! I have to try it. Only tend to use chickpeas in Indian cooking. I bet the balsamic gives a nice tang.
Sun, 23 Jan, 2011 at 09:43
wow, fresh chickpeas?! I’ve never seen that before. This sounds like a great side and I can imagine how tasty it is with the sausages! yum~
Sun, 23 Jan, 2011 at 20:22
Every one of your Barcelona posts just makes me itch to get back there. I love the look of this chickpea dish. A little green salad on the side, a glass of pink wine and I’d be the happiest of campers….
Tue, 25 Jan, 2011 at 14:12
vintagemacaroon: I could have and it would have changed the flavours a bit to something a little greener/fresher. But there would be a lot of shelling involved.
kat: That recipe looks fabulous! I’ll definitely give it a go too – thank you!
Mr Noodles: I always get slightly obsessed with the food of a region I’ve just travelled to. I’ll get bored soon!
Robert: I found mine at an Indian grocers on Ealing Road, near Wembley. If you’re close to an Indian grocers, I’d have a root around – Shepherd’s Bush, Tooting or Southall all come to mind.
Steve: Nothing wrong with tinned chickpeas! If you happen to find Spanish bottled chickpeas, try using those too – they’re cooked more and so I find they’re creamier inside. And HNY to you too!
Planethalder: I hope it turns out well for you!
niamh: Chickpeas are great, aren’t they?
Gourmet Chick: More like, my own spin because certain ingredients are difficult to find!
Keith: The raisins here aren’t at all overpowering but complement the nuttiness of the pinenuts well. The Catalans are very fond of the use of dried fruit in their savoury dishes.
Maunika: I only really got into chickpeas after meeting my husband. In Barcelona, we’d eat them just plain boiled with lots of olive oil and black pepper.
pigpigscorner: We just eat it as is for a meal!
Tori: Oooh yes, you’ve got the idea!
Tue, 25 Jan, 2011 at 17:08
This looks delicious, can’t wait to try it out! Do you think it’s worth tracking down morcilla for it?
Wed, 26 Jan, 2011 at 18:15
Looks lovely!
You can actually eat the fresh chickpeas raw. It’s only the dried ones that needs soaking and cooking to rehydrate.
I first saw them whilst traveling in India. During the harvest season people sell bunches of them by the road and on public buses for people to munch on as a snack. For about ten rupees you can buy a bunch of stalks with all the chicpea pods attached. If you squeeze the bottom of the pod the ‘pea’ pops out … straight into your mouth if you aim right. Great for keeping you amused on a long bus ride through India.
Worth giving it a try!
Sarah
Thu, 27 Jan, 2011 at 16:21
Hanna: I’m not sure… if it’s just too much trouble, I’d probably give it a miss. They mix and match flavours at the bar too so hey, we’re doing the same! (I hear they do morcilla and apple with the chickpeas too).
Good Bite In: Oh wow – thanks for this info! I’ll definitely try this next time!
Fri, 28 Jan, 2011 at 16:27
i’m warming up to raisins for the first time in my life and this sounds like something i’d really like them in (minus the meat for me
yum!
Sat, 29 Jan, 2011 at 20:31
yasmin: I find they taste less like raisins when cooked in a savoury dish…more like just a sweet note. Raisins and pinenuts are also very cook with spinach or Swiss chard (it’s a very Catalan combination)!