Revithada Sifnou

Ingredients

• 500g dried chickpeas
• 2 large onions, roughly chopped
• 150ml extra virgin olive oil
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1.2 litres water, roughly
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Before you cook

• Soak the chickpeas overnight in plenty of cold water with a good pinch of salt.
• Drain and rinse them, rubbing them between your palms to loosen and remove most of the skins.
• Chop the onions roughly.

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 200C.
2. Tip the drained chickpeas into a lidded clay pot or a heavy casserole.
3. Add the onions, bay leaves, salt and a good grinding of pepper.
4. Pour the olive oil over the top.
5. Add enough water to cover everything by three centimetres.
6. Put the lid on and bake for 2 hours.
7. Turn the oven down to 140C.
8. Bake for a further 5 hours without stirring or lifting the lid.
9. Check that the chickpeas are still just covered with liquid, and add a cup of boiling water if they look dry.
10. Bake for a final hour, until the chickpeas are collapsing and the liquid has thickened into a golden broth.
11. Taste for salt and stir once, gently, so the chickpeas stay whole.
12. Serve very hot in deep bowls with lemon to squeeze over and plenty of bread.