Umbrian Style Stewed Chickpeas Recipes

MINESTRA DI CECI (UMBRIAN CHICKPEA SOUP)

Steps:

• Soak chickpeas in full pot of cold water along with rosemary, sage, and salt. Soak overnight, then drain the next morning. Remove herbs.
• Refill slow cooker with water to 1 inch above chickpeas. Cover and cook on low 5 hours.
• Combine 7 tablespoons of olive oil and rosemary in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring just to a simmer to infuse the olive oil. Remove from heat, discard the rosemary and set aside.
• Saute garlic, carrot, onion and celery in olive oil in skillet. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4-5 minutes. Set aside.
• Puree half of the chickpeas, along with several cups of broth from the cooker, in blender. Return puree to slow cooker. Add sauteed vegetables to cooker.
• Cover. Cook on high 60 minutes.
• Serve the soup in warmed bowls with a drizzle of some of the remaining rosemary oil and sprinkle of parsley, black pepper and some grated pecorino if you wish.

UMBRIAN-STYLE STEWED CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Drain soaked chickpeas and place in a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover the chickpeas by 1-2 inches. Add 1 cup of the olive oil, bay leaf, sage, rosemary, prosciutto or bacon, carrot, celery, chile, garlic, and onion. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer the chickpeas very slowly, uncovered, until they are tender and creamy, about 3 hours. During the cooking process, keep adding more water to the pot as necessary so the chickpeas remain submerged in at least 1 inch of water. Keep salting throughout the cooking (up to a tablespoon, spread out over 3 hours), tasting as you go and being careful not to over-salt.
• Remove the bacon, herbs, and vegetables, leaving only the chickpeas. Drain, reserving the liquid.Squeeze the cloves of garlic out of their skins and add to the chickpeas (discard the skins). Transfer the chickpeas, garlic, 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid, and the remaining amount of olive oil into the bowl of a food processor or a blender fitted with a metal blade. Purée to a smooth, spoonable paste with some texture. Add reserved cooking water as necessary until desired consistency is reached. Taste for seasoning, and add more olive oil or salt as needed before serving.(Note: These chickpeas go well with Chef Silverton's fett'unta.)

UMBRIAN LAMB STEW WITH CHICKPEA PUREE

Steps:

• 1 In a large Dutch oven or other deep, heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Put just enough lamb pieces in the pot as will fit comfortably in a single layer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 20 minutes. Transfer the browned lamb to a plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook the remaining lamb in the same way. 2 When all of the meat is browned, spoon the 3 Return the lamb to the pot. Add the tomatoes and mushrooms and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 hours or until the lamb is tender and the sauce is reduced. If there is too much liquid, remove the cover for the last 15 minutes. 4 Just before serving, heat the chickpeas and their liquid in a medium saucepan. Then transfer them to a food processor to puree or mash them with a potato masher. Stir in a little extra-virgin olive oil and black pepper to taste. Reheat if necessary. 5 To serve, scoop some of the chickpeas onto each plate. Surround the puree with the lamb stew. Serve hot. excess fat from the pan. Scatter the garlic in the pan and cook 1 minute. Add the wine. With a wooden spoon, scrape up and blend in to the browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook 1 minute. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.