Rice with chickpeas in cocotte Every

This rice with chickpeas, raisins and other niceties is a classic from the interior of the Levantine area. The recipe comes from one of my favorite recipe books in the world, The Food from Spain by Claudia Roden, a writer of Jewish origin living in the United Kingdom, which unfortunately has not yet been translated into Spanish. It is very refreshing to read what Spanish gastronomy inspires an outsider , with a point of view devoid of regional favoritism in a very personal and non-transferable collection of recipes.

Mrs. Roden says that in the interior of the Valencian region, rice dishes are frequently prepared with broth from some stew of meats and cured meats, therefore if we have a good homemade caldazo our rice will be very satisfying. Although it is true that bottled broths have improved a lot in recent years. The rice is accompanied, in addition to the broth, by raisins, chickpeas, dried tomatoes, garlic and a touch of sweet paprika: a winning combination.

This type of rice is frequently baked, as in the original recipe; For the elaboration I have used the beautiful Every cocotte , especially suitable for rice dishes thanks to its double lid that emulates the operation of Japanese pots. It collects heat and recirculates steam wonderfully, leaving perfectly cooked rice all over the pot. With literally minimal heat you cook all the rice equally.

This cocotte is suitable for both the fire and the oven, so you can make the rice with chickpeas however you like. Personally, I have preferred to do it over the fire because the cocotte allows it, the rice does not stick at all and cooking is more efficient, energetically speaking, than in the oven. I have used brown rice, which is much healthier than husked rice.

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

Ingredients (for 4 people)

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

Preparation

1. Put the chickpeas to soak in warm water the night before.
2. The next day, drain the chickpeas, put them in a saucepan and cook, skimming off any impurities, until tender. Room and reserve.
3. Wash the head of garlic and dry it. Put a little oil in the cocotte , heat and lightly fry the head of garlic. take it back
4. Add the raisins, the tomatoes cut into pieces and the paprika, and give them just a few turns without roasting the paprika, so that it does not become bitter.
5. Add the drained chickpeas and broth, and bring to a boil.
6. Add the rice, stir to mix, and bring to a boil again. Put the previously removed head of garlic on top in the center of the casserole, place both lids of the cocotte , reduce the heat to a minimum and cook for 20-25 minutes, depending on the quality and freshness of the rice, until it is done and has absorbed almost all the water.
7. Serve immediately, squeezing the cooked garlic cloves onto a good piece of bread to accompany the rice.

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