Scrummy with a touch of spinach

Several months ago while surfing the "condemned food counter" at Tesco, I scored the final four inches of a chorizo sausage discarded from the deli.  like many such prizes, it went into the freezer until I decided what to do with it.  I was really tempted to try Kale and Chickpea Stew a la Crazy Aunt Purl but DH doesn't like cooked kale or many of its relatives (cabbage, etc).  He'll eat them raw, but not cooked.

Saturday, when we were grocery shopping, I hit on making it with spinach.  Thanks to an offer, I could pick up a large bunch of spinach for 60p.  DH will eat spinach raw in salads and cooked in Sophie Dahl's Dhal so I rationalised that maybe, just maybe, he'd eat it in this.  The original recipe is here.  This is my version.

Chickpea and Chorizo Stew

Serves 4 to 6


Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 red jalapeno chillies sliced
100g/4oz chorizo, diced
450g cooked chickpeas (drained weight)
1 large bunch of spinach roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
500ml chicken stock
500g potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch dice (preferably use a boiling potato)
2 tablespoons olive oil

Method

1.  Heat the oil in a large saucepan/stew pot.  Fry the onion and chorizo together until the fat starts running from the chorizo (it will be red-ish).
2. Add the garlic and chillies.  Fry for two or three more minutes.
3. Add the stock, chickpeas, potato, spinach and bay leaf.  Bring to the boil and simmer for at least 20 minutes or until the the potato is cooked and at least half of the liquid has evaporated.  The dish should look stew-like not soupy.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve in deep soup plates.

This goes well over couscous or with good bread for dunking.  It is even better when left to be eaten on the second day.

And the verdict?  DH declared it "Scrummy", went back for seconds, and then demanded that I make it again soon.  Even the dreaded spinach got the thumbs up.

- Pam