Clay Baked Chick Peas with Honey and Bitter Orange Juice
½ pound/250 g. chick peas
1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced into thin slivers
1 cup chopped tomatoes (canned are fine)
1-2 large strips orange zest
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 bay leaves
Fresh strained juice of 2 bitter Seville oranges
2 Tbsp./30 ml oxymelo vinegar or balsamic vinegar
½ cup/120 ml DOP extra-virgin Cretan olive oil
¼ cup/60 ml Greek thyme or pine honey
Water
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Soak the chick peas for 8 hours in a bowl of cold water mixed with 1 scant tablespoon baking soda. Drain and rinse well the next day. (If they are not sold shelled, place in batches in between two clean kitchen towels and rub back and forth to remove the skins.)
2. Place the chick peas in a large clay casserole dish with a lid. Mix in the onion, garlic, tomatoes, bitter orange zest and juice, bay leaves, rosemary, oxymelo, olive oil, and honey. Add enough water to come up about 2,5 inches/6 cm above the chickpeas. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with the casserole’s lid. If desired, make a quick dough of flour and water and seal the casserole hermetically.
3. Place the clay casserole in a cold oven. Heat the oven to 140˚F/60˚C and bake for 8 hours. (You can do this overnight.)