From: TABLE MANNERS
Recipe courtesy: Food blogger David Lebovitz, davidlebovitz.com
Serves: 40
Ingredients:
- 1 quart water
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon coarse salt
- 2¼ cups chickpea flour
- olive oil, for frying
- coarse sea salt and freshly-cracked pepper, for serving
Directions:
- Lightly oil a 9-inch square cake pan, or similar sized vessel.
- Heat the water with the oil and salt in a saucepan. Once hot, but not boiling, whisk in the chickpea flour.
- Whisk over medium heat until the mixture thickens, about three minutes.
- Switch to a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula. Continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until very thick and the batter holds its shape.
- Scrape into the oiled pan and let cool.
- To fry the panisses, unmold the solidified mixture on a cutting board and slice into batons about as wide as your fourth finger and as long as your middle one.
- In a heavy-duty skillet, heat ¼-½ inch of olive oil. When shimmering hot, fry the panisses in batches, not crowding them in the pan. Once the bottom is nicely browned and crisp, turn with tongs, frying the panisses until they are a deep-golden brown on each side.
- Remove panisses from pan and drain on paper towels, sprinkling generously with salt and pepper. Continue frying the rest, heating more oil in the pan as needed.
- Serve warm.
Special Notes: Panisses are the perfect snack food, excellent when served with rosé or alongside meat dishes, like they do in Provence. Dust them with sugar for the kids or sprinkle coarse salt and cracked black pepper for adults (along with a cool glass of wine).