Chickpea, butternut squash and chorizo slow cooked spiced stew

A lovely autumn slow cooked stew

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

The day before cooking the stew, put the dry chickpeas in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Water level should be around 7cm above the level of the chickpeas. Put a lid on the pot and soak them overnight.

Step 2

After soaking, the chickpeas would have grown in size and absorbed a good part of the water. They should remain covered with water, so top up the water to just above the chickpea level, if necessary. Add,the paprika, turmeric and liquid smoke, and stir to dissolve and mix in. Season with msg salt and pepper. Bring the pot to a boil, then add 2tbsp of vegetable oil, reduce heat to low, cover and let it simmer. Stir regularly.

Step 3

While the chickpeas simmer, cut 2 squashes in half, de-seed them with a metal spoon, put them on a microwave save dish and oil all the exposed flesh. Microwave them until the flesh gives to a gentle finger prod (15-20 minutes per squash). Let them cool slightly.

Step 4

Scoop and scrape the flesh with the spoon from all 4 halves. Discard the skin.

Step 5

Mash the flesh with a fork. You can ease the mashing adding a couple of spoonfuls of the chickpea cooking liquid.

Step 6

Once the chickpeas are “al dente”, add the mashed squash to the pot and stir in. Add the mild Spanish chorizo cubes. Keep the simmer going. Stir regularly and add water to just above the chickpea level, if necessary.

Step 7

Peel and cut in 1/2cm cubes the remaining 1/2 squash. Place in a microwave safe bowl, season, add a splash of oil, and mix to ensure all cubes are coated. Microwave in high for 5 minutes. Cubes should be soft but still firm

Step 8

Air fry the squash cubes for 5 minutes at 200C

Step 9

Once the chickpeas and chorizo cubes are cooked, add the microwaved squash cubes and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. You can eat it right away, but I find that letting it cool down covered intensifies the flavours. If it can go to the fridge for a couple of hours, even better. Then reheat and serve.