Lablebi & Hargma

Lablebi & Hargma

Lablebi

1 ½ cups dry chickpeas (soaked overnight)

2 tbs olive oil

½ onion minced

2 tbs + 2 tbs minced garlic

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

Black pepper

Hargma

3 lbs cows feet (cleaned)

3 tbs tomato paste

1 tbs harissa (more or less depending on how hot you like it)

2 tbs spice mix (combine equal parts garlic powder, fennel seeds, chili powder, black pepper, turmeric to create the spice mix called tabil)

1 tbs salt

For Serving

Day old bread torn into bite size pieces

Pickled vegetables (carrot, celery, cauliflower)

Chopped green onion

Olive oil

Harissa

Soft boiled egg*

Parsley

Cumin

Salt

*Perfect soft boiled egg - bring water to a boil, gently lower eggs into the water and slowly stir. Cook for 3 minutes and then remove from water.

Process

Lablebi

1. Put the chickpeas and 2 tbs of garlic in a pot and cover with 8 cups of water. Let boil for about an hour (make sure to stir occasionally and add water so it doesn’t dry out and scorch on the bottom)

2. In a skillet, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion and 2 tbs of garlic, season with salt, pepper and cumin

3. Once the chickpeas have softened, stir in the onion mixture, adding water as needed so everything is submerged.

4. Cook on medium/low for 3 hours, stirring and adding water as needed (don’t trust it! The moment you do, assuming theres enough liquid  it will dry up and scorch the bottom of your pot).

Hargma

1. Throw all the ingredients in a large pot and cover with water. Allow to cook on medium/low for 6 hours, stirring and adding water as needed so it doesn’t dry out.

To Serve

1. Put the torn up bread in the bottom of a bowl (the deeper the bowl the better!)

2. Add a scoop of chickpeas and a small amount of the liquid.

3. Scoop on a generous ladle of Hargma sauce.

4. Top with your choice of harissa infused olive oil, soft boiled egg, chopped green onions, parsley, pickled vegetables and season to taste with salt and cumin

5. Give it a good mix and enjoy!

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

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   Lablebi with Hargma is one of my all time favorite Tunisian dishes. It’s all about warmth, comfort, and ritual. It’s not something I’ve ever made at home, but something friends and family and I would go get on cold winter evenings when we didn’t feel like cooking.  Sitting together to tear up the bread, talking as the spoons scrape the bottom of the shared bowl.  Even though I ate it countless times I still have vivid memories of each bowl of steaming comfort shared with those I love.