← Nouns Cooking · French

Ingredients

• 250 g chickpea (gram) flour, sifted
• 1 l cold water
• 2 tbsp Olive oil, plus extra for the tray
• 1 tsp Salt, plus flaky salt to serve
• 500 ml sunflower or olive oil, for frying
• Black pepper
• 1 Lemon, cut into wedges (optional)

Method

1. Oil a baking tray or dish about 20 x 30 cm. Whisk the chickpea flour into the cold water in a saucepan until there are no lumps, then add the olive oil and salt.
2. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk and then a wooden spoon, for 10–12 min, until it is very thick, pulls away from the sides and holds its shape like a stiff polenta.
3. Scrape it into the tray, smooth it to about 2 cm thick and leave to cool, then chill for 2 hours until firm.
4. Turn out and cut into chips about 1.5 cm thick. Heat the frying oil in a deep frying pan to 180°C (350°F).
5. Fry the panisses in batches for 4–5 min, turning, until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with flaky salt and plenty of pepper and serve with lemon wedges.

Tips

• Fry in small batches so the oil stays hot and the panisses stay crisp rather than greasy.
• The set slab keeps for 2 days in the fridge, so you can fry fresh batches whenever you like.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Great British Chefs David Lebovitz