Chickpea and tuna belly salad from Bonito del Norte

In this recipe it is time to put on blue fish purples and the queen legume,  the chickpea . Both are ingredients that help us control our cholesterol. In addition to this great salad, you can also get beautiful up to the top with the exceptional ” Feria do bonito de Burela “, one of the most important gastronomic festivals of the Galician summer. In it, 4,000 servings of this tasty tuna prepared for all tastes will be given, cooked, in tuna pie , grilled or in  stew .

I invite you all to spend this weekend in the port of Burela (Lugo) to taste bonito from the North in all its specialties. I add my grain of sand with a refreshing recipe that is very fast and delicious. Northern bonito has an intense sea flavor, light meat and amazing properties. In this case I have used tuna belly (the area located at the bottom of the fish) which is undoubtedly the juiciest and tastiest, with the softest and most delicate texture of Bonito. It is made up of meat fillets with a gelatinous texture and intense flavor, ideal for salads. A treasure of the sea for demanding palates, a salad where success is assured.

Chickpea and tuna salad preparation

1. We choose quality chickpeas and put them in a drainer. We put them under the stream of water from the tap to remove the conservation water that the boat brings. Some foam will come out, don’t panic. The quality of this type of chickpea has improved a lot in the last few years, my advice is to buy them with good flavor and size, do not choose a 40 cent bottle as this ingredient is key in the salad.
2. Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to the pan and sauté the piquillo peppers that we have previously cut into strips. When they reach temperature, add the drained chickpeas. Mix well and remove after 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Keep in mind that the chickpeas are already cooked so do not overdo it with the fire and the time when sautéing them.
3. Cut the onion and green pepper into small pieces, it is preferable to make it very fine so that it blends well with the rest of the salad. Mix the chickpeas with the piquillo peppers, onion, green pepper and a little finely chopped chives.
4. Sprinkle with sweet La Vera paprika to taste and season with a light vinaigrette of salt, lime juice and extra virgin olive oil.
5. As a last and most important step, we crown this salad with a tuna belly from the north. We have two options: Either choose a quality canned tuna can or prepare it ourselves. If you buy the fresh belly, you just have to put it in a pan with a little bit of cheese and some very minced garlic.
6. As soon as the garlic is browned we add a little chopped parsley and immediately add the belly, in less than a minute we will have it prepared. It is a more expensive option but much more pleasant on the palate as it is less dry than canned, I leave it to your choice.
7. Choose three or four beautiful flakes and put them on each plate. And above all, serve the salad very fresh. I hope you like it.

Tips and recommendations

• This chickpea salad pairs very well with chives, raw zucchini, or other vegetables. And you can modify it with other fish such as cod or trout, even smoked fish are great. If we want to tune it a little more we can add hard-boiled egg, pitted olives … Imagination to power.
• If you have leftover salad put it in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and in the fridge. It will last you without problems for a few days, it will even be much better because all the flavors will come together better.

Be sure to enjoy all the recipes for fish and seafood that we have on the blog, I assure you that you will find a lot of ideas to make yours much happier.