Chickpea Stew With Bacon and Broccoli Rabe Recipe

[Photograph: Daniel Gritzer]

In true raid-the-pantry fashion, this rustic chickpea stew will get its layers of taste from the sorts of elements we prefer to maintain stocked within the cabinet, fridge, or freezer.

It begins by sautéing smoky bacon—which we attempt to at all times stock in our freezer for moments like this—till its given up a lot of its porky fats to the pot. Then, we fry a hefty mound of onions and garlic within the rendered fats. Fresh rosemary goes in subsequent, after which a beneficiant pile of anchovies (be at liberty to extend or lower the variety of anchovy fillets primarily based by yourself tastes). The anchovies soften, and add a savory, briny spine to the stew. If you do not have rosemary, do not fret. You can use one other woodsy herb like sage or thyme, and even some dried oregano (simply use much less of the dried stuff).

Then the chickpeas go in to stew. We favor to make use of garbanzos that had been dried and cooked since they’ve one of the best taste and most flavorful cooking liquid, however canned chickpeas work right here too. In holding with the beans-and-greens theme we’re such large followers of right here at Serious Eats, the chickpeas are stewed with bitter broccoli rabe, which mellows and takes on a candy edge the longer it is cooked. If you do not have rabe, you would use one other hearty inexperienced like kale or escarole, broccolini, and even common broccoli; even frozen variations of those greens may work, they’d simply want a shorter cooking time to develop into tender.