A humble, slow-cooked agrarian stew primarily consumed on the island of Sifnos. It relies on the prolonged baking of soaked chickpeas in a clay pot (skepastaria) with massive quantities of onions and olive oil, resulting in a sweet, starchy, golden emulsion.
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The Soak. Place the chickpeas in a large bowl. Dissolve the soda in cold water and cover the chickpeas by 3 inches. Soak for 12-24 hours . Drain and rub the chickpeas vigorously in a towel to remove as many loose skins as possible. Rinse thoroughly.
Preheat oven. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Use a heavy Dutch oven or a traditional clay pot with a lid.
Assemble. Place the drained chickpeas, chopped onions, bay leaves, salt, and pepper into the pot.
The Liquids. Pour the olive oil over the chickpeas. Add enough cold water to just cover the chickpeas by about 1 inch.
Seal the pot. Cover the pot tightly with the lid. Traditionally, a flour-water paste is used to seal the lid to the pot to prevent any from escaping.
The Long . undisturbed for 4 to 5 hours . Check once at the 3-hour mark to ensure they haven't dried out (add water if necessary).
The Finish. The is done when the chickpeas melt on your tongue and the liquid has reduced to a thick, golden, oily gravy. Remove from the oven.
Emulsify. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for 1 minute ; this mashes some of the chickpeas and emulsifies the oil with the starches.
Add the lemon juice off the heat. Serve hot with rustic bread and olives.
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