Prawns and Chickpeas with Garlic

I came across the idea of adding chickpeas to garlic prawns in a Spanish food magazine to make my Prawns and Chickpeas with Garlic. To be truly accurate in Spain they would cook the garlic and optional chilli in the oil in individual dishes first, then add the prawns. However, I find this can overcook the garlic and also few of us have garlic prawn dishes anymore, so I find this more contemporary.

Ingredients

24 medium-sized green prawns
½ cup (125mls) extra virgin olive oil
400g canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 long red chillies, finely chopped (optional) or ½ red capsicum, diced
½ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
1 medium lemon, cut into wedges
1 loaf crusty bread

Instructions

Shell and devein prawns, leaving tails intact. Cut along back of prawns, taking care not to cut all the way through; flatten prawns slightly.
Heat oil in a large frying pan, add prawns and cook until almost cooked through.
Add chickpeas, garlic and chilli; cook for about 2 minutes, until fragrant and prawns are just cooked through.
Remove from heat, stir in parsley and lemon rind. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately with lemon wedges, crusty bread and salad, if desired.