Preparation time
overnight
Cooking time
over 2 hours
Serves
Serves 4-6
By Jose PizarroIngredients
For the soup
- salt cod skin (see below)
- 150g/5½oz dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water and drained
- 150g/5½oz dried white beans, soaked overnight in cold water and drained
- 1 garlic bulb, cloves peeled
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small leek, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp pimentón de la Vera dulce (sweet Spanish smoked paprika)
- 4 free-range eggs
- 2 large handfuls spinach
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the albondigas
- 250g/9oz stale bread, crusts removed
- 150ml/¼ pint full-fat milk
- 250g/9oz salt cod, soaked for 24–48 hours in cold water, (changing the water every 12 hours)drained, skin removed and reserved
- large bunch flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
- olive oil, for frying
- freshly ground pepper
Method
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To make the soup, put the salt cod skin, chickpeas, white beans, all but 3 of the garlic cloves, the bay leaf, the leek and 1 litre/1¾ pint of cold water to a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 1½ hours, adding another 750ml/1¼ pint of water halfway through, until the beans and chickpeas are soft. Remove and discard the fish skin, bay leaf, garlic and leek.
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Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and gently fry the onion and pimentón for 10 minutes, until soft.
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Blitz the onion and a tablespoon of the soup in a food processor, until smooth. Add this to the soup and season with salt and pepper.
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Cook the eggs in a pan of boiling water for 6–8 minutes. Run under cold water, then peel and quarter.
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To make the meatballs, soak the bread in the milk for 2 minutes, until soft. Remove from the milk and put in a large bowl. Crumble the salt cod over the bread and mix.
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Finely chop the remaining 3 garlic cloves and add to the bowl with the parsley. Season with pepper and mix well. Shape into 18–20 ping pong-sized balls.
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Heat the olive oil in a frying pan to 180C, or until a cube of bread browns in about 20 seconds. Fry the balls for 2–3 minutes, until golden brown.
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Add the balls and the spinach to the soup and simmer for 5–10 minutes.
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To serve, spoon the soup into individual bowls and top with the egg quarters and plenty of black pepper.
