← Nouns Cooking · Greek

Ingredients

• 500 g dried chickpeas
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, for soaking (optional)
• 2 Onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, sliced
• 2 Bay leaves
• 120 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp Dried oregano
• 1 sprig Rosemary (optional)
• 1 l hot water, plus extra as needed
• 2 tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 1 lemon, juiced, to serve

Method

1. Cover the chickpeas with plenty of cold water, stir in the bicarbonate of soda and leave to soak for at least 12 hours.
2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, put them in a pan of fresh water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 min, skimming off the foam, then drain.
3. Heat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan, 325°F). Tip the chickpeas into a lidded ovenproof pot (clay is traditional) with the onions, garlic, bay leaves, oil, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper.
4. Pour in hot water to cover the chickpeas by about 2 cm. Put the lid on, sealing it with a strip of foil if it is loose.
5. Bake for 3 hours, checking once halfway and adding a splash of hot water if it looks dry. The chickpeas are ready when they are meltingly soft and sitting in a thick, creamy sauce.
6. Squeeze over the lemon juice, check the salt and serve warm with bread and olives.

Tips

• On Sifnos the pot goes into the baker's oven on Saturday night and comes out for Sunday lunch, so it is happy to cook even longer at a lower heat.
• Skinning the chickpeas after the first boil (rub them in a towel) makes the sauce even silkier.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Dimitra's Dishes OliveTomato Diane Kochilas