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Southern Spain’s Best-Kept Secret
Espinacas con garbanzos is a hyper-regional dish native to Seville with strong Moorish influence that’s substantive and full of flavor.
Briefly simmering canned chickpeas (uniformly tender, well-seasoned, and convenient) in a combination of chicken broth and chickpea canning liquid tenderized them and infused them with savory flavor.
A picada (a paste of garlic and bread cooked in plenty of olive oil) thickened and seasoned the sauce. Smoked paprika and Moorish spices such as cumin, cinnamon, and saffron imbued the picada with heady aromas, and tomatoes and vinegar boosted its tang.
Thawed frozen chopped spinach was perfect here; already fine and tender, it dispersed beautifully throughout the dish and provided plenty of surface area to hold the juices in place.
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 small pinch saffron
2 small plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, flesh shredded on large holes of box grater and skins discarded
4 teaspoons sherry vinegar, plus extra for seasoning
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Directions
Cut a 1 1/2-ounce piece from loaf of bread (thickness will vary depending on the size of the loaf) and tear into 1-inch pieces. Process in a food processor until finely ground (you should have 3/4 cup crumbs). Combine chickpeas and broth in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Adjust heat to maintain simmer and cook until the level of liquid is just below the top layer of chickpeas, about 10 minutes.