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madbakerThis week's Resolution Recipe: Lablabi. (Tunisian Chickpea Soup)
This is a classic street food dish: a big pot that's mostly water with cheap ingredients, and lots of separate garnishes to add to taste. It's apparently a common Tunisian breakfast, although it was a good dinner.
8 ounces dried chickpeas, soaked in water for at least 4 hours
6 garlic cloves (Ha! I used about a head.)
1 bay leaf
salt
4 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp harissa (We used a garlic chili paste)
4 slices day-old bread
1/2 salted lemon
4 eggses
3 Tbsp olive oil (I used Basil Oil)
juice and zest of 1 lemon
4 Tbsp chopped parsley
4 sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, sliced
3 Tbsp capers
Drain the chickpeas. Place in a soup pot with 2 quarts water. Add 3 garlic cloves and the bay leaf. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes. Add 1 1/2 tsp salt and simmer another 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Let cool and store overnight (this isn't required, but it made dinner prep for Sunday much easier...)
Mince remaining garlic and add to the chickpeas along with 2 tsp cumin and the harissa. Cover and simmer gently for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the garnishes. Tear the bread into bite-sized pieces. Chop the lemon into small pieces. Poach the eggses until the whites are just set (about 3 minutes) and transfer to a bowl of cold water until ready to serve.
Add 3 Tbsp oil and the lemon juice and zest to the soup and simmer for another 5 minutes. The broth should be seasoned but not overly salty; the garnishes will add salt.
To serve, divide the bread among 4 deep soup bowls. Arrange garnishes on top of the bread. Ladle the hot soup and chickpeas over the bread. Settle a poached egg on each. Stir the soup, breaking up the egg and distributing the garnishes, before eating.
What worked: This was actually much tastier than I was afraid it might be - the chickpeas in water were boring, even with the salt and garlic. It wasn't until the lemon was added that it brightened in flavor, and the garnishes completed the job nicely. Very easy; while it took time to cook, very little of that was actual work time.
What didn't: I might up the water to 5 cups - there was a bit left over which I am having for lunch today, and it was light on broth.
Will I make it again? I hadn't really thought it was worth it, but the wife liked it enough to want to eat it again. So, yes.
What I'm reading: (Still) Neal Stephenson, REAMDE
This is a classic street food dish: a big pot that's mostly water with cheap ingredients, and lots of separate garnishes to add to taste. It's apparently a common Tunisian breakfast, although it was a good dinner.
8 ounces dried chickpeas, soaked in water for at least 4 hours
6 garlic cloves (Ha! I used about a head.)
1 bay leaf
salt
4 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp harissa (We used a garlic chili paste)
4 slices day-old bread
1/2 salted lemon
4 eggses
3 Tbsp olive oil (I used Basil Oil)
juice and zest of 1 lemon
4 Tbsp chopped parsley
4 sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, sliced
3 Tbsp capers
Drain the chickpeas. Place in a soup pot with 2 quarts water. Add 3 garlic cloves and the bay leaf. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes. Add 1 1/2 tsp salt and simmer another 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Let cool and store overnight (this isn't required, but it made dinner prep for Sunday much easier...)
Mince remaining garlic and add to the chickpeas along with 2 tsp cumin and the harissa. Cover and simmer gently for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the garnishes. Tear the bread into bite-sized pieces. Chop the lemon into small pieces. Poach the eggses until the whites are just set (about 3 minutes) and transfer to a bowl of cold water until ready to serve.
Add 3 Tbsp oil and the lemon juice and zest to the soup and simmer for another 5 minutes. The broth should be seasoned but not overly salty; the garnishes will add salt.
To serve, divide the bread among 4 deep soup bowls. Arrange garnishes on top of the bread. Ladle the hot soup and chickpeas over the bread. Settle a poached egg on each. Stir the soup, breaking up the egg and distributing the garnishes, before eating.
What worked: This was actually much tastier than I was afraid it might be - the chickpeas in water were boring, even with the salt and garlic. It wasn't until the lemon was added that it brightened in flavor, and the garnishes completed the job nicely. Very easy; while it took time to cook, very little of that was actual work time.
What didn't: I might up the water to 5 cups - there was a bit left over which I am having for lunch today, and it was light on broth.
Will I make it again? I hadn't really thought it was worth it, but the wife liked it enough to want to eat it again. So, yes.
What I'm reading: (Still) Neal Stephenson, REAMDE
