Old-flavour modern-prep CHICKPEAS

INGREDIENTS:

80 g/person chickpeas

4 people quantities

1 carrot

1 celery stick

1/2 white onion

1/2 garlic clove

2-to-3 cherry tomatoes

1 dessertspoon (brimming) of the vegetable stock cube (or 1 portion - cube - commercial stock cube)

a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

a pinch of salt (better if iodised)  

PREPARATION (1 of 2) - the night before...

1) Accurately and abundantly wash the chickpeas

+2) Leave the chickpeas in lukewarm water with a pinch of salt overnight to achieve a proper softness before cooking them.

The water has to be abundant because the chickpeas will absorb it considerably.

PREPARATION (2 of 2) - the day after...

1) Cut the celery stick into strips, the onion and the carrot into slices and crush the garlic.

2) Put everything into the frying pan together with the tomatoes (in one peace) and sautè them untill they brown (stir from time to time)

 

3) Add the chickpeas and cover them with hot water (just two fingers above!) 

4) With a pressure cooker you just need 15' after the whistle. Otherwise with a common pot you have to cook them for 1 hour an a half adding water as soon as the water will drop down under the chickpeas level. Note that with a terracotta cooking pot you will need of 2-to-3 hours. When our forefathers prepared them into their fireplaces, they needed aobut 4 hours an a half for the same.

5) When the cooking is finished (the chickpeas are soft enough), add the vegetable stock cube or  commercial one.