This stew is a visual favorite with its deep red background and golden potatoes. It multiplies easily and improves with time, so make a big batch to enjoy as lunch throughout the week.
Ingredients:
1 pound fingerling potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
2 generous pinches saffron
3 large red bell peppers, chopped into 1/4 inch chunks
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 heaping teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup medium-dry sherry
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 15-ounce cans, rinsed
3 cups chickpea-cooking broth or water
salt and freshly milled pepper
bread crumbs, if needed
Directions:
Scrub fingerlings and halve them lengthwise.
Warm the oil in a wide pot with the onion, saffron, peppers, garlic, and potatoes. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring gently every now and then until the potatoes are tender-firm, about 25 minutes. Add the paprika, parsley, and pepper flakes and cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the sherry and cook until the juices in the pan are thick and syrupy, about 12 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, and broth to cover. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and plenty of pepper. Cover and cook over low heat until the potatoes are completely tender, about 20 minutes. If the stew is soupy and you plan to serve it right away, stir in 1/4 cup of bread crumbs to thicken. If you don’t plan on serving the stew for an hour or more, it may not need the bread crumbs since it will thicken as it stands. Serve in soup plates with any additional bread crumbs sprinkled over the top along with the extra parsley. Serves 4.