Chickpea Fries with Yogurt Tahini Sauce

They're called panisses in Provence, panelle in Tuscany.  We discovered them at our favorite tapas wine bar.  We start talking about them all the way from the car to the restaurant, and for days afterward.  The only problem is that at a tapas bar you're supposed to sample lots of dishes and pass everything around the table, and these little fries bring out our worst anti-social tendencies.  Let's just say we don't like to share.

You'll need chickpea (aka garbanzo bean) flour to make these, and that alone would have made them out of reach of most American cooks until recently.  Luckily there's been an explosion in the popularity and availability of specialty flours. Many large grocery stores and most high end and whole foods stores carry them these days.  Chick pea flour has a beautiful, finely ground silky texture.

You can use any number of dipping sauces for these.  Fresh salsas would be great.  Chipotle mayo would go well.  But I'm partial to the classic lemony Mediterranean yogurt and tahini. 

If made properly these are to die for. Two things to remember: don't cut your fries too large, and make sure your oil is up to temperature before you fry.  The result will be glorious---crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside.

Chickpea Fries
serves 6

2 cups water
1 1/2 cups garbanzo bean flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 tsp cumin (optional)
fresh cracked pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
oil for frying
parsley for garnish 

Yogurt Tahini Sauce

1 cup Greek style yogurt
1/2 cup tahini
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 clove garlic, minced
salt

• Line a 12 x 8 inch pan with parchment paper.  If you extend the paper off both ends of the pan like a sling it will be easier to remove the dough later.
• Heat the water, oil, salt and pepper to boiling in a saucepan.  Turn down the heat and whisk in the chickpea flour, whisking until it thickens and is smooth, about a minute.  It will look like a thick oatmeal.
• Spread the mixture in the pan, smoothing it with a spatula.  Take another piece of parchment and lay it over the top and continue to smooth it out as evenly as possible.
• Refrigerate for at least an hour until fully set.  It will set up just like polenta.
• Meanwhile make the dipping sauce by whisking all the ingredients together in a small bowl.  Chill till needed.  If you like a thinner sauce you can whisk in a little milk.
• When the dough is completely chilled, carefully lift it out of the pan and cut into 1/2 by 4 inch strips. Just cut the slab width-wise into three sections of 4 inches each, and then cut each section into 1/2 inch strips. 
• Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a large pan till it reaches 350. Be patient, this takes a few minutes, and you  want the oil to be hot enough to crisp the fries and not soak into them. You can use olive oil if you're feeling flush, I just used canola.  Fry the chickpea fries in batches, if the oil is the right temperature they should be golden in 2 minutes.  
• Season with a little fresh ground sea salt, dust with parsley and serve right away.

You can cut the fries and stack them between waxed paper ahead of time and then refrigerate until you're ready to fry. 

I serve them like they do at the tapas bar, on a bed of tabbouleh with the dipping sauce on the side.