LOW CALORIE

Braised Chickpeas with Olive Oil and Thyme

⏳ Time

1 hour 30 minutes + 12 hours

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

A rustic dish popular in Tuscany and Umbria. It would be worth adding 'and white wine' to the name, as white wine with chickpeas is not just an accompaniment, but an integral part of the dish. Pinot Grigio or a light white wine pairs perfectly with chickpeas. They have suitable aromas of hay or resin and a subtle nutty flavor.

Ingredients

Chickpea - 17.6 oz
Olive Oil - 3 fl oz
Thyme - 0.4 oz
Salt - to taste
Ground Black Pepper - to taste

Step by Step guide

Step 1

Dried chickpeas, like most legumes, require some preliminary preparation. Not so much complicated as time-consuming. The peas need to be soaked in water for about eight to twelve hours.

Step 2

Transfer the prepared peas to a pot, cover with water, add sprigs of thyme, place on the stove, bring to a boil, and then move to an oven preheated to 80-194°F for about an hour and a half. The water in the pot should only simmer gently; a vigorous boil is not necessary in this case. If you have a lid with a handle that won't melt in the pot, you can cover it with this lid, leaving a tiny gap. Alternatively, you can seal the pot with foil, making several small holes in it with a knife.

Step 3

After an hour, take the pot out and add salt, and if necessary, some water. After another half an hour, taste the chickpeas: they should reach the consistency of roasted chestnuts, meaning they should hold their shape but break down easily into a mash with the slightest pressure from your teeth. If the chickpeas are still too hard, return the pot to the oven for a little longer, and test for doneness again.