Rice with chickpeas in an Every casserole

This rice with chickpeas, raisins, and other delights is a classic from the inland area of the Levant. The recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks in the whole wide world, The Food from Spain by Claudia Roden, a writer of Jewish origin based in the United Kingdom, which unfortunately hasn’t yet been translated into Spanish. It’s very refreshing to read what Spanish cuisine inspires in an outsider, with a point of view free of regional favoritism in a very personal and non-transferable collection of recipes.

Mrs. Roden says that in the inland areas of the Valencia region, rice is often prepared with broth from a meat and sausage stew, so if we have a good hearty homemade broth our rice will be very satisfying. Although it’s true that packaged broths have improved a lot in recent years. The rice is accompanied, besides the broth, by raisins, chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and a touch of sweet paprika: a winning combination.

These kinds of rice dishes are often baked in the oven, as in the original recipe; for this version I’ve used the very pretty casserole Every, especially suitable for rice thanks to its double lid that mimics the way Japanese pots work. It captures heat and recirculates steam beautifully, leaving the rice perfectly cooked throughout the pot. With literally the lowest heat you cook all the rice evenly.

This casserole works both on the stovetop and in the oven, so you can make the chickpea rice however you like. Personally, I preferred to make it on the stovetop because the casserole allows for it, the rice doesn’t stick at all, and the cooking is more energy-efficient than in the oven. I used brown rice, which is quite a bit healthier than white rice.

Cocotte Every Le Creuset 18cm, Revol round porcelain plates and De Buyer stainless steel spoon

Ingredients (for 4 people)

• 100 g chickpeas (dry weight)
• 1 whole head of garlic
• 80 g raisins
• 3-4 sun-dried tomatoes in oil
• ¾ tsp. sweet paprika
• A little olive oil
• 750 ml meat broth
• 220 g round-grain rice (brown or not)
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Soak the chickpeas in warm water the night before.
2. The next day, drain the chickpeas, put them in a pot, and cook, skimming off impurities, until tender. Salt and set aside.
3. Wash the head of garlic and dry it. Put a little oil in the casserole, heat, and lightly sauté the head of garlic. Remove it.
4. Add the raisins, the tomatoes cut into pieces, and the paprika, and just stir them a few times without letting the paprika toast, so it doesn’t turn bitter.
5. Add the drained chickpeas and the broth, and bring to a boil.
6. Add the rice, stir to combine, and bring back to a boil. Place the previously removed head of garlic on top in the center of the pot, put both lids of the casserole, lower the heat to the minimum, and cook for 20-25 minutes, depending on the rice’s quality and freshness, until it’s done and has absorbed almost all the liquid.
7. Serve immediately, squeezing the cooked garlic cloves over a good piece of bread to accompany the rice.

Cocotte Every Le Creuset 18cm, Revol round porcelain plates and De Buyer stainless steel spoon