Espinacas con Garbanzos — Sevilla Chickpeas & Spinach

Ingredients

• 2 cans chickpeas, drained
• 1 lb spinach
• 2 slices bread, cubed
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika + 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• Salt

Method

1. Fry the bread cubes and garlic in the oil until deep gold; scoop them out, leaving the oil behind.
2. Pound or blitz the fried bread and garlic with the vinegar, paprika, and cumin into a paste — the medieval thickener that makes this dish taste centuries deep.
3. Wilt the spinach in the same pan and cook off its water.
4. Add the chickpeas, the bread paste, and a splash of water; simmer 8 minutes until the sauce clings, coppery and fragrant.
5. Season and serve with more bread. Sevilla tapas bars have served this exact plate since before the fork was popular locally — it has outlasted empires for a reason.