Panisse
King is one of my favorite spots in NYC. A restaurant run and owned by women. Love peeking in the kitchen and see only women cooking up a storm. One of the best treats is the Panisse to kick off the meal. I could go through a few plates myself. Then I saw a recipe from David Leibowitz, who I have been following from the start. I had to make Panisse.
Panisse is a chickpea fry. The key is getting them crisp on the outside and stay soft on the inside. Definitely making them again and again. These were a bit over-fried although still good!
2 1/4 cups chickpea flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1-quart water, olive oil for frying, and sea salt and for serving, including sage leaves, although they can be optional.
Oil a 9″ rimmed sheet pan.
In a medium saucepan, mix the chickpea flour with salt and olive oil.
Pour the chickpea flour in a medium saucepan along with the salt and olive oil. Then half of the water and stir with a sturdy whisk until the mixture is smooth. Then whisk in the rest of the water.
Bring the mixture to a boil, frequently stirring with the whisk until it begins to thicken. Then reduce the heat to low-to-medium and stir with a spatula until the mixture thickens and begins to hold its shape, and begins to pull away from the side of the pan. It should look like thick mashed potatoes. It took me about 5 minutes.
Immediately scrape the mixture into the rimmed sheet pan with the spatula, evening out the mixture to make the top smooth. Let this cool to room temperature.
Cut the mixture into the size of thick fries.
In a heavy skillet, fill the bottom with olive oil, about 1/2 inch. Once the oil begins to shimmer, drop the fries in the pan, do not crowd them. Let them get browned on one side, then slip and brown the other side. Use tongs much easier. When they are ready, set them on paper towels or brown paper to drain. I also tossed in some sage leaves (like King does) and put them on the top. It also adds to the taste of the oil.
Salt and serve. A fried sage on top of a fry is delicious!