Separate the heads of the shrimp and reserve. Peel the remainder of the shrimp, devein (take out the intestine) and reserve.

In a medium frying pan, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the shrimp heads for a few minutes, allowing them to release their flavor.

Remove the heads from the pan and sauté the diced onions and carrots until starting to brown (about 10 minutes).

Add the brandy and the herbs, sauté for about a minute until some of the alcohol evaporates.

Add the fresh diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer.

Then add the fish stock and cook over a medium simmer.

Reduce by about one third and remove the bay leaves.

Add high-quality chickpeas (jarred or pre-cooked) to the strained broth.

Cook over a slow heat for about 10 minutes.

In the meantime, coat the raw shrimp in olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper

Sauté over medium-high heat until just cooked.

Remove from heat.

You can either chop up and add the sautéed shrimp directly to the pot, or you can add a few jumbo shrimp to each person's dish in a more decorative way.

Season the stew with salt and pepper before serving. Enjoy!