Braised Green Chickpeas with Pomegranate & Feta

Fresh chickpeas are sold in a dense bunch of branches, with generally just one or two beans per pod. They’re a major pain to clean. One of my kitchen guys from Oaxaca, Mexico, told me that in his pueblo they often throw the whole branch on the grill so they char and steam in the pods, and then pick the beans out to eat at once. Here, we shell them raw and cook them gently to retain some of their delicate sweetness. You can make this with any shelling bean, such as favas or cranberry beans.<