on and blend until the mixture is creamy. Pour the mixture back
into the pot of cooked chickpeas and stir. You want it to be
brothy.
Put the pot back on medium heat, allow the mixture to warm up
(5 minutes or so), then flake the cod pieces into the hot chickpeas
(feel for bones as you do this, just in case). Add the kale and stir,
cooking just until the kale is wilted and the fish is cooked through,
3 to 4 minutes more. Taste for seasoning (you may also want to
add more cayenne pepper). Ladle the stew into warm bowls and
drizzle on some extra virgin olive oil before serving.
* Frozen cod is a fine option here because you’re going to cure it
anyway. Defrost it before salting.* Raij suggests buying chickpeas from a store that sells a lot of
beans because dry beans that sit on the shelf for a long time get
“desiccated.” Indian markets or Latin American markets are the
best choices.