Name: Potaje de Garbanzos con Espinacas y Bacalao (Aromatic Chickpea Potage with Spinach and Salt Cod)
Yield: 6 Raciones
Cuisine: Spain
Ingredients: 300 g (10½ oz/1⅓ cups) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight; ½ garlic bulb, plus 4 cloves, unpeeled; 200 g (7 oz) dried salt cod, soaked in cold water for 48 hours, changing the water four times; 1 teaspoon saffron threads; 100 ml (3½ fl oz) extra virgin olive oil; 2 tomatoes; 2 bay leaves; 1 bunch of English spinach, about 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) in total, leaves picked, washed and thickly shredded; 4 egg yolks; 2 tablespoons cumin seeds; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 slice of two-day-old pasta dura or other firm crusty bread

Preparation info

6
Raciones

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

MoVida Rustica

By Frank Camorra and Richard Cornish

Published 2009

About

BEFORE YOU EAT YOUR FIRST SPOONFUL OF THIS RICH SOUP, STOP. LEAN OVER THE BOWL AND GENTLY INHALE THE INTENSE AROMA OF THE SPICES AND SALT COD. IT IS BEAUTIFUL, TRULY BEAUTIFUL. THIS DISH IS FOUND THROUGHOUT SPAIN, BUT THIS VERSION COMES FROM SIERRA DE FRANCIA. SALT COD IS UBIQUITOUS ACROSS THE NATION. DRY, HARD AND, ONCE UPON A TIME, CHEAP, IT WAS TRANSPORTED FROM THE COAST ON THE BACK OF MULES AND WAS THE PROTEIN OF CHOICE IN CATHOLIC SPAIN — A COUNTRY THAT HELD FAST TO THE CHURCH’S RULES