Recipe: Chickpeas and Chorizo

Today, our world food that you can cook at home comes from the Iberian Peninsula. Chickpeas and Chorizo, (or Garbanzos y Chorizo as it is known in Spain) is a very popular tapas dish. It is one of those humble but fortifying dishes that the Spaniards and Portuguese are masters at creating. Trust me, I'm a fan of such foods and you are going to see many of them here.

Don't be discouraged if you can't find chorizo at your local market. You can find it online or you can substitute your favorite spicy sausage. That's what is great about simple dishes, they usually allow you forgiving avenues of exploration.

I have seen a great deal of variation in this dish. It can run the range from a simple preparation of little more than chorizo, chickpeas, onion, salt and pepper, to something a little more seasoned like the recipe below.
Chickpeas and Chorizo (Garbanzos y Chorizo)

20 ozs. chickpeas (cooked fresh or canned)
1 bay leaf
2-3 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 quart chicken stock
2 TBS olive oil (I use Portuguese)
1 large onion (chopped)
2-3 cloves garlic (chopped fine)
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1 lb. chorizo links
1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Place a large sauce pan over high heat, add the chickpeas, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon stick and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Place a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the 2 TBS of olive oil, when it begins to shimmer add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and thyme and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes. Stir frequently, do not burn the garlic!

Add the chorizo to the onion, garlic and thyme mixture and cook. Flip the sausage frequently and stir the onions around so they don't burn (it's okay if they caramelize a bit).

When the skins of the chorizos darken and caramelize, remove them from the pan. Slice the links in 1" pieces and then reintroduce to the fry pan.

Remove the bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon stick from the simmering chickpeas. Add the chickpeas and broth to the chorizo and onions in the frying pan. Raise heat to high and simmer, stirring frequently.

Using a potato masher, mash some of the chickpea mixture in the frying pan. This thickens it up nicely. Test for seasoning and adjust to preference.

When most of the liquid has been reduced, remove from heat. Toss in the chopped parsley and fold throughout.

Serve hot in bowls. Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and serve with a hearty wine and crusty bread.

Recipe: Chickpeas and Chorizo (Garbanzos y Chorizo) from Chop Onions, Boil Water by Henry Krauzyk http://wwwm.choponionsboilwater.com