Revithada of Sifnos

La storia di questo piatto

Revithada is the soul of Sifnos made edible — a Sunday ritual sealed inside clay, born from the island's stony hillsides where wild chickpeas drink salt wind and silence for an entire season. Every family carried their pot to the village baker's oven at dusk, and by morning the whole alley smelled of belonging.

Ingredienti

• 500 g Dried chickpeas
• 2 medium White onion
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 150 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 1500 ml Water
• 1 tablespoon Sea salt
• mezzo teaspoon Black pepper, ground
• 2 leaves Bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon Dried thyme

Preparazione

1. Place the dried chickpeas in a colander and rinse them under cold running water until the water runs completely clear. Then transfer them to a large bowl, cover them generously with fresh water, and let them soak for at least 12 hours: during this soaking time, change the water once so the chickpeas stay sweet and don't absorb any off-flavors. By the end, they should have doubled in volume and feel smooth to the touch, no longer wrinkled and shriveled like they were at the start.
2. Drain the soaked chickpeas thoroughly and pour them into a terracotta pot, the kind that holds heat with gentle warmth and gives a flavor that no other pot can provide. Add the onions cut into large chunks, the garlic cloves left whole with their papery skin still on, the bay leaf, and the thyme: these vegetables will perfume the broth as whole pieces without falling apart during the long cooking time.
3. Pour the extra-virgin olive oil and water over the chickpeas, then stir gently with a wooden spoon, taking care not to break the chickpeas. Season with salt and black pepper, then cover with the terracotta lid or, if you don't have one, with a double layer of foil sealed tightly: this is what traps the steam and creates the magic of slow cooking.
4. Place the pot in an oven already heated to 160°C and let the chickpeas cook slowly for 4 to 5 hours, without rushing and without opening the oven too frequently: it's this length of time that gives them the perfect tenderness. They're ready when they almost melt on your tongue but still hold their shape, and the liquid has transformed into a dense and creamy broth that coats them like a sauce.
5. Open the oven and taste a chickpea to gauge where you are in the cooking: if it still feels hard when you bite down, pour in a ladleful of hot water and return it to the oven for a bit longer. If instead the broth seems too thin to you, remove the lid and let it cook uncovered for the final 30 minutes, so the excess water evaporates and the sauce thickens until it coats the back of a spoon.
6. Bring the terracotta pot to the table while still warm, exactly as it comes from the oven, which is the most beautiful and proper way to enjoy this dish. Before serving, drizzle a generous stream of fresh extra-virgin olive oil over the chickpeas and dust with dried oregano to taste: always taste a spoonful first to make sure the salt level is exactly right.