Eating something homemade and comforting without having to spend three hours in the kitchen is possible, and these chickpeas with mussels are proof. Because jarred chickpeas are probably one of the greatest inventions of the modern pantry. But if, in addition, they are prepared with a recipe from chef José Andrés, we are already talking about elevating it to another level.
The chef himself shared it on the RTVE program 'Let's cook with José Andrés', during a visit by the singer José Mercé, and it has everything you could ask for in this type of dish: few ingredients, zero complications and a final result that seems much more elaborate than it really is.
The chef starts with a very simple idea: mixing stewed chickpeas with mussels, but he gives several tricks along the way that make the difference. The first is not to overcook the seafood to avoid it becoming chewy. The second, take advantage of the mussel broth because a good part of the flavor of the stew is there. And the third, be careful with the salt, since between the water of the seafood and that of the chickpeas the dish can be perfect… or become a small salty accident.
This recipe begins by putting the mussels in a pot with the white wine and bay leaf, cover tightly and leave on high heat. In just a few minutes the steam will make them begin to open one after another. As soon as they are finished, we take them out and reserve both the mussels and the broth.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan with a good splash of oil, sauté the slightly crushed garlic cloves along with the chopped chives. When they are tender, we add the paprika and lower the heat a little to prevent the ingredients from burning. We then add the drained and rinsed chickpeas.
So that the mussel broth is clean and free of debris, there is a little trick that consists of placing a damp kitchen paper over a strainer and filtering it. Moistening the paper beforehand is important because it is what will prevent it from absorbing the broth and losing the liquid gold of the stew.
Next, we add the filtered broth to the pot from before, stir well and let everything cook for about ten minutes so that the flavors mix without rushing. We take advantage of this to remove the shells from the mussels and add them at the end.
That easy and quick we would have a nutritious and delicious meal ready to serve.
Cover photo | Public domain and Muhammad Khawar Nazir
