Is there a better time to crave a hearty, nourishing stew than on these cold winter days? I don’t think so! Who is with me? This hake chickpea stew is warming and filling, with layers of flavour and various textures! It is my new favourite, and I’m pretty confident you will adore it too, even if you are not a big fan of stews.

Apart from showing you how to prepare this warming stew, I will share with you a few valuable techniques and methods you can easily incorporate into various other recipes. One of them is my newly discovered way of cooking chickpeas in only 11 minutes! So, let’s cook!

Tips when buying ingredients for this hake chickpea stew

Onions: I’m using yellow onions for this recipe, but you can also go for milder white ones or sweeter shallots.

Garlic: I always prefer to use raw garlic in my recipes, but you can substitute it with garlic powder if it is a more convenient option for you.

Leeks: When buying leek, check that it is firm to the touch with dark green tops tightly rolled; that is a clear sign of freshness. Also, I prefer younger mellow and sweet leek that is not fibrous when cooked. How will you recognise that the leek is young? Young leeks have a thinner, cylindrical bulb that is not round. As the leek ages, the bulb becomes wider and rounder. Another helpful tip; avoid buying leeks wrapped in plastic since it promotes rot.

Sun-dried tomatoes: Sun-dried tomatoes usually come in a glass jar, most often preserved in oil. Drain them well on a piece of kitchen paper to remove any excess before using them.

Tomato paste: Choose double concentrated one without added preservatives when buying tomato paste. As it is a more concentrated product, it will have a deeper, more complex flavour than the standard one.

Vegetable stock: Check out my recipe for a simple vegetable stock I’ve shared with you in this recipe. You can also buy one if you are short on time. It can come in liquid form or as a concentrated dried product. Store-bought versions can often have flavour enhancers and preservatives added, so always check the label before purchasing them. Homemade versions are always my preferred option.

Chickpeas: For this stew, I’m using dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked in the microwave for 11 minutes. Later in the text, I will introduce you in more detail to all the preparation steps and the benefits of this method. On the other hand, a ready-to-use option would be to buy canned chickpeas and toss them in. However, there are a few downsides to their use which you will also discover soon.

Aqua faba: Aqua faba is another name for the viscous water in which legumes are cooked in; in this case, we will get it from cooking chickpeas. If you’re using canned chickpeas, it is the liquid they are preserved in.

Hake: Hake is an affordable, beautiful white fish that belongs to the cod family. It has a mild, slightly sweet taste and flaky texture. It is even more delicate than the other two more popular family members: cod and haddock. Apart from being very affordable, it is also easily accessible. If you have a fishmonger you trust, I recommend you buy it fresh, but if not, you can also purchase frozen hake fillets.
Hake can be prepared in many ways; baked, fried, or steamed, but for this recipe, it will be poached. In under 5 minutes, you will get a hake fillet that is soft and incredibly moist.

Chickpea types

Chickpeas are an extremely versatile legume variety best known as the main ingredient of the world-renowned hummus spread. What I was surprised to find out is that there are two main types of chickpeas: Desi and Kabuli.

The Desi type has a thicker seed coat wrinkled at the peak, ranging in colour from brown, light brown, fawn, yellow, orange, black, or green. On the other hand, the Kabuli type has a very thin seed coat with colours varying from white over pale cream to tan. Also, the Desi type is smaller in size than the Kabuli one.
Which ones are available in your country? Here in Croatia, I’ve only found the Kabuli type on offer, which I will also use in this recipe.

As I previously mentioned, chickpeas can be found dried or canned. While the canned ones are convenient to use because they are ready to toss into your dish, they have some disadvantages. You may disagree with me, but I find them overcooked, mushy in texture, and overly salty (high in sodium). Aside from the flavour and texture, canned chickpeas are a nutritionally poorer option. To last for 3-4 years inside the can, they must be sterilised. Unfortunately, this destroys many valuable nutrients that chickpeas are praised for.

However, dried chickpeas need prior soaking and cooking to be finally enjoyed. That requires planning as well as time to cook them. After I’ve done some research, I’ve found a great way to reduce the cooking time from over an hour to only about 10 minutes, and I can’t wait to tell you more about it. Are you ready?

How to microwave cook chickpeas?

Before cooking, chickpeas benefit from being soaked for a few hours, preferably overnight.
To soak chickpeas, place them in a glass container or a bowl with a fitting lid. Sort through them and discard the ones that are damaged. Submerge them in water using a ratio of water to dried chickpeas, 5:1. Then add 2% soda bicarbonate to the soaking water (2 g per 100 ml water), which will help soften them.
Soak your chickpeas covered at room temperature for 12 hours.

Benefits of soaking chickpeas:

• Increased protein bioavailability, in other words, makes the protein easier to absorb by our bodies.
• Reduced levels of tannins and phytic acid. These compounds can bind proteins and minerals, making them less available to your body. Even though they are not totally “bad guys”, we can benefit from their reduced content.
• Faster cooking time which preserves more of the nutrients inside.

When the soaking process is over, it is time to cook the chickpeas. Rinse them under cold running water and remove the soaking liquid. Place them in a microwave-safe bowl or container with a fitting lid. I’m only using a glass bowl with an appropriate-sized plate.
Cover chickpeas with water using a ratio of water to chickpeas 3:1. Place the bowl in the microwave and cook at maximum strength for 11 minutes. When chickpeas are cooked, take them out of the microwave and leave them covered to cool down.

Benefits of microwave cooking chickpeas:

• More minerals and B vitamins when compared to boiled chickpeas
• Shorter cooking time
  

How to clean and cut leek?

I will show you a method to clean and cut leek that is the easiest and most elegant one.
First, cut off the root and the top dark green parts of your leek. Don’t throw away those green tops; they are a great addition to your stocks (vegetable, mushroom, fish, etc.).
Then, slice the leek in half lengthwise, starting from 2-3 cm away from the root part. This way, you will keep the leaves together while rinsing and cutting.

Now, rinse it under water by holding it from the root part and gently opening up the layers to remove all the dirt and debris that has been stuck inside. Pat dry it and place it on a cutting board.
Slice it, starting from the green part and moving towards the roots. You want your slices to be 2-2,5 cm thick, giving a pleasant texture to your hake chickpea stew.

How to slice the onion?

I will share my favourite way of slicing the onion for this dish. So, start by cutting off the top of your onion. Lay it flat on the cut side and slice it in half. Peel off the skin and lay both halves flat on the board. Now, cut off the root part and thinly slice each half by going along the lines or moving from the cut top to the cut bottom of your onion half. And that’s it! Easy:)

Onion cells are full of so-called lachrymators, chemicals that are strong eye irritants. These cells are more of a longitudinal shape, longer in the top-to-bottom direction than across. So, when we slice the onion this way, we cut through fewer of these cells and release fewer lachrymators. The onion slices have a milder flavour, plus the resulting texture is better.