Experimental cooking

[madbaker]

One of the farmers at the market was selling fresh chickpeas, so I decided to experiment with a medieval recipe from Curye on Brown Goo that I like: Chyches. For completeness' sake I tried the recipe three different ways - using fresh, dried, and canned chickpeas.

#1, the baseline: dried chickpeas soaked overnight.
I like this redaction immensely. The chickpeas absorb all the water and the garlic takes on the spices and saffron color. The chickpeas are cooked, yet firm and distinct. It's good glop.

#2: canned.
I didn't try to roast these, which to be really complete I should have. They didn't absorb much liquid, which I expected (I cut down the liquid by 2/3). They disintegrated into gloppy moosh. The least flavorful of the three.

#3: fresh.
I also didn't try to roast these. Frankly, I'm not sure how to replicate the moist slow heat you'd get burying the chickpeas under ashes. These absorbed more liquid than canned but not as much as the soaked dried. Substantial color difference since they're green (in color as well as being fresh). Also, the most pronounced chickpea flavor of the three.

Dried and fresh are worth making again. If I figure out how to replicate coal-roasting, I'd like to try this again with fresh and do the full soaking alongside the dried ones. Any suggestions?

Chyches x3. Clockwise from top: canned, fresh, dried.

Comments

[wufmew.livejournal.com]

In Senegal I wrapped taters in foil and buried them in the cooking fire and they would roast. I wonder if burying a foil pack of chickers in a regular grill fire would work?

[j-i-m-r.livejournal.com]

Next time you use the smoker, or Ivar uses the Kamato, throw a foil wrapped (or leaves, like fig or banana) package of fresh garbanzos in the coals once the cooking is done. Or, do this at Purg if your bringing your fire pit and do it there.

[albionwood.livejournal.com]

I wonder if it is just assumed that you are to put the chiches into a ceramic vessel before laying them in the ashes/embers. A covered pipkin would be perfect for this. You might thereby gain a little smoky/roasty flavor, which would probably make this even better.

Take chickpeas {and put them in a small pot} and cover them in ashes all night or all day, or lay them in hot embers