SPANISH CHICKPEAS WITH CHORIZO & PIQUILLO PEPPERS
- 4 13.5oz cans of chickpeas
- 1 13.5oz can of crushed tomatoes, unseasoned
- 1 13.5oz can of Piquillo peppers, sliced into ribbons
- 3 Tbsp of tomato paste
- 4-5 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 7oz of dry chorizo, sliced in thin slices or cubed finely
- a few good slashes of cooking sherry
- 2 Tbsp of fresh oregano, finely chopped (or 1 Tbsp dried oregano)
- 1-2 Tbsp of Piment d’Espelette or another hot pepper like cayenne or a dash of sriracha
- salt to taste
- parsley, for decoration

Preheat oven to 350F.

Drain chickpeas and rinse until no longer foamy. Drain Piquillo peppers in a separate sieve and slice each pepper into thin ribbons.

In a cast iron skillet or heavy pan, brown the chorizo until it starts to sweat and turn color a little bit. You don’t want it to be crispy at this point. Add chopped shallots and sauté until shallots turn translucent. Add tomato paste and minced garlic, and cook for additional 1-2 minutes. If your pan is getting a bit crusty, add a splash of cooking sherry and scrape up any bits.

Add chickpeas, pepper ribbons, crushed tomatoes, Piment d’Espelette and oregano, and fold everything to combine well. Pour a few splashes of cooking sherry over the heap of yummy goodness and bake for approx. 15 min at 350F until the top is slightly crispy and the chickpeas are heated through.

Sprinkle some chopped parsley over the top for prettiness, and serve alongside grainy bread or rice.