Give Me Five: Chorizo with chickpeas

Every now and then I discover a dish that I want to cook over and over again. I’m always afraid I’ll forget about it, so I put little notes in my phone and on various notebooks – illegible scribbles about different ingredients or combinations, reminders that I must not forget how good mustard is with rabbit or, as in this week’s recipe, chorizo with chickpeas. Chickpeas can be dry, bland little legumes, lacking in flavour and crumbly in texture. The fatty sweet paprika-soaked chorizo infuses them with flavour, which makes up for their shortcomings. This recipe is one to cut out and keep. It makes a really tasty supper in just over five minutes.

Each week I give a recipe based on five simple ingredients. It can sometimes be a challenge but it’s one I gladly accept, as I’m discovering a whole new way of cooking and eating. It has also simplified my shopping considerably. Usually I like to elaborate a little and I will give tips on how you can add more or make a recipe more complicated.

Some dishes are fantastic with lots of ingredients but I also like simple recipes that provide a nourishing and tasty supper without a daunting list of ingredients or an intimidating preparation schedule. This is especially the case when it comes to the end of the week, when I want fast, simple and delicious food.

You can find chorizo easily now in all supermarkets, but do read the ingredients. Not all chorizos are created equal. The shorter the list of ingredients, the better. Pork, salt and spices would be the ideal list. I’m a big fan of Gubeen Chorizo, made by Fingal Ferguson in his smokehouse in Schull. It’s widely available in food shops and farmer’s markets around the country. Ferguson has strong principles of not using any ingredients that are not necessary, such as MSG, phosphates or sulphurs. Many cheese stalls at farmer’s markets have a few varieties of chorizo, too. Specialist shops such as Iago in Cork or Sheridan’s Cheesemongers in Dublin, Galway and Waterford have a great variety of cured meats. A highly flavoured black pudding or morcilla would be great in place of the chorizo; add cubes of eating apple with the parsley instead of smoked paprika and tomatoes.

One of my favourite ways to serve chorizo is fried and placed on top of a thick, creamy potato and leek soup, with the sweet spiced oil drizzled over too. This serving suggestion, taken from a Ballymaloe potato and leek recipe, is one of my father’s favourite things to eat. It’s great comfort food and a fantastic combination that really showcases a good chorizo.

I usually use tinned chickpeas for this. It takes some time to soak and cook dried chickpeas. If you do want to do that, I suggest doing a huge batch and freezing them in portion-sized Ziploc bags. Chickpeas, especially the dried ones, are cheap and a great source of protein, fibre and minerals. They are filling and make a great replacement for pasta, rice or potatoes.

At its best, my pantry has a touch of Sleeping with the Enemy in which the controlling, obsessive husband assesses the store cupboard and fixes all of the tinned food labels to the front. I'm not quite as organised as he was, but I love when my cupboard is fully stocked with tins of beans and chickpeas. It means that a hummus can be whipped up in no time. Chickpeas blended with buttered leeks make a gorgeous soup, or they can be added to a salad.

CHORIZO WITH CHICKPEAS: SERVES 4

The five ingredients

• 400g chorizo, thickly sliced
• 2 x 400g cooked chickpeas, drained
• 3tsp smoked sweet paprika
• 300g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Method

Preheat a pan on a high heat. Add the chorizo slices and cook for a few minutes until golden. There’s no need to add oil as there is so much fat in the chorizo. Stir through the chickpeas and paprika. Cook for two minutes. Add the tomatoes and mix well. Leave to cook for a further minute to slightly soften the tomatoes. Taste, and add salt if necessary. Stir through the chopped parsley and serve immediately. Crusty bread makes a good accompaniment.

• Every Thursday we'll tweet the five ingredients from @lillyhiggins and @irishtimeslife so you can have them ready for Friday. Email givemefive@irishtimes.com with your suggestions for recipes