My kitchen is a mess, but this was worth it

Occasionally, I toy with the idea of retiring to Spain, but with the 8.5-month stretch of unemployment I had in 2022-2023, those plans are quite far in the future.

Not that I need an excuse, but it's a good one to explore the cuisine. I may have mentioned I found Spain on a Fork via a Facebook group for Americans in Valencia. I was looking for appetizers for a pasta dish with chorizo I plan to serve my favorite guinea pig and I came across chick pea fritters. To my endless delight, this is another recipe where I already had everything in the pantry.  Let's get to it:

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 60 ml
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour 60 grams
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup beer 120 ml
• 1 shallot
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 8 grams
• 1/2 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika 1.25 grams
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1.50 grams
• 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) 15.5 oz / 440 grams
• sea salt & black pepper

FOR THE AIOLI

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 tsp saffron threads
• 1/2 cup low fat mayonnaise 120 grams
• 1 tsp lemon juice 5 ml (I recommend a bit more)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 15 ml
• sea salt & black pepper

Instructions

Add the flour into a large bowl, make a well in the middle, crack in the egg and whisk the egg, then add in the beer and whisk everything together until you a creamy batter

Add in the shallot finely chopped, finely grate in the garlic, add in the chopped parsley, sweet smoked Spanish paprika, ground cumin and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together until well mixed

Drain the can of chickpeas into a colander and rinse under water, then shake off any excess water, (I tossed them with a paper towel as well) transfer the chickpeas into a bowl and using a potato masher or large fork, mash down on the chickpeas until they're semi-mashed. (I recommend the fork if your masher doesn't have a lot of surface area)

Add the mashed chickpeas into the bowl with batter and mix together

Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in the olive oil

After a couple of minutes start adding in spoonfuls of the batter, all in a single layer and evenly spaced out, cook in batches, fry for 3 minutes per side or until golden fried, transfer into a dish with paper towels as you finish. 

I took a touch longer to get them fully crispy on both sides, but no more than a minute each.

To make the aioli, add in the cloves garlic roughly chopped into a mortar, along with the saffron and a pinch of sea salt, using a pestle pound down on the ingredients until you get a paste-like texture, then add in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and season with a kiss of sea salt & black pepper, whisk together until you get a creamy sauce

I found there to be way too much aioli and I am not sure what to do with the rest of it. I'll figure something out.

Transfer the aioli into a serving dish and decorate the fritters around it, serve warm or at room temperature, enjoy!

Another recipe I thought I’d Saved: Spicy chick peas

I have probably mentioned I’m quite fond of chick peas. I made something like this recipe a long time ago, but did not save it. I’m rather annoyed with myself because one of the reasons I started this blog was to keep track of recipes that worked.

Anyway, chickpeas are cheap and tasty and versatile. I wanted them as a side dish for cumin chicken (that did not come out well enough for an entry) and I’m really happy with these. I’ll be eating leftovers for dinner tomorrow.

• 1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
• 3 shallots, chopped fine
• 1jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
• black pepper to taste
• Lime juice to taste
• 1/2 avocado, diced

Heat the olive oil in a pan on medium for about a minute. Add your shallots, stirring often, until they start to turn brown. Add the chick peas, stir well, then add the chili powder. Let cook for about three minutes. This will give the flavors time to meld and make the chick peas soft and creamy. Stir in the jalapeño and cook for another minute. Turn off the heat and add your avocado. Stir well. Taste, add lime juice as desired. Serve.

If I make this for company and use more chick peas, I’m considering putting them in the oven for a few minutes before adding the avocado, it will add some crunch and give the tongue textures to play with. 

I really like the shallots, but may try a version with purple and green onions.

I’m going away this weekend and when ai get back, there may be chili. 

A Story That Starts with Chickpeas

A friend of mine recently said, "Chick peas are my thing." (Hi Adam!) I can't argue with this. Hummus and falafel, for example, are two of my favorite things, and I've posted a recipe that puts them in a pan with chicken and harissa. 

I came across this entry's recipe a while ago, made it and it didn't quite work. We have since achieved an oven thermometer, which improves the odds considerably. 

I hadn't made any specific plans to make it again until I made a chicken and white bean dish the other day and accidentally opened a can of chick peas. Read the labels, Kate. Really. So, needing something to do with them, I remembered this. Here's our ingredient list:

• 2 Cups cooked chick peas. If you're using canned, rinse them well.
• 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons za'atar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

I love za'atar and it's becoming easier to find. If you can't find it locally, there's always Amazon. 

I have some quibbles with the directions. 

• Spread out chick peas on a paper towel. Let dry for one hour. (The first time I made this, an hour did not feel nearly enough. Even though the oven temperature was low, they should have crisped up somewhat. I left them out for a couple episodes of The Fall, maybe a little longer)
• Heat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Line a heavy rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper and spread chick peas evenly on the pan. Bake in the center of oven for 30 minutes, stirring and turning every 10 minutes (I just shook the pan; I also baked them about 10 minutes longer)
• Place hot chick peas in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, za'atar and salt.

Theoretically, these will keep in an airtight container for a week. I wouldn't know. I ate half of them and saved the other half for Nexx. 

I made another batch, this time with some homemade chili powder. I made it a little too heavy on the chilis (I had de arbol in the house) and even serving it with some cheese and chunked avocado, they were a wee bit too spicy. Tasty, but a little too much burn.

I did have another use for the leftover chili powder, though. Next entry!

More things to do with things in jars

Hi everyone,

I've been planning to post about this recipe for a while. It's pretty easy, needs just one sauté pan and is absolutely delicious.  It's from the folks at Bon Appetit. Here's our ingredients list:

• 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
• 8 chicken thighs (The recipe calls for bone-in, skin-on, but I've made it without either and it came out just fine)
• Kosher salt
• Fresh-ground pepper
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (which works out to about half a cup.)
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (you can also use a couple teaspoons of jarred chopped garlic)
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste. (read the ingredients when you're shopping, some have salt and/or sugar, and who needs extra of those?)
• 1/4 Cup harissa paste (more on that below)
• 1/3 Cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (which I always seem to forget to add)
• Lemon wedges for serving. I recommend at least one lemon per person.

About harissa. It's a chili paste that originates from Tunisia. Naturally, it's going to vary in intensity according to exactly where in the region you're getting it. The good news? You can get prepared harissa in a jar from Amazon just use 1/2 a cup or more to taste. This is the brand I use: 

Preheat your oven to 425 F. Heat the oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper (I sometimes use garlic salt in place of kosher salt here). In two batches, cook chicken until browned, about 5 minutes a side. Remove chicken to a plate.

Here the recipe says to drain off all but 1Tablespoon drippings out of the pan. I am not that exact, but if that's what makes you feel comfortable, go ahead and measure. 

Add onion and garlic to the pan, stir frequently (as in don't leave it to sit more than 10 seconds at a time) until the onions are softened (almost translucent and a bit yellow), about 3 minutes:

Add tomato paste and cook until it darkens, about one minute. Add chickpeas, harissa, and chicken broth, bring to a simmer. 

Nestle chicken, skin side up in the chickpeas, transfer skillet to the oven. Roast until chicken is cooked through, about 20-25 minutes. Top with parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.