Plate full of panisse coated in salt and pepper.
I heard from a friend that some company in the Netherlands was having a contest for the shortest panisse. The winner would receive a new iPhone 5. Panisse are great appetizers, and even though I am not much of a cook, I figured I would make up a batch of panisse to enter.
Panisse is fried chick pea flour and originates from the south of France. I found a recipe on-line and went to work. I mixed the chick pea flour, that I found at Whole Foods Market, in steaming hot water with 2 tea spoons of olive oil and 3/4 teaspoon salt. It was at this point that I hypothesized where chick peas, also know as garbanzo beans, got their name. The steamy mush smelled like wet chicken manure.
When it had thickened to a stiff mush, I poured into a greased 9 x 9 baking pan. After it cooled, I
Chick pea flour thickens up quick when whisked into the hot water.
plopped onto a cutting board. At this point it looks like really smooth polenta. I cut the slab into strips. Hint: I wiped the knife off with water after each slice because it has a tendency to stick and tear otherwise.
Next I heated up a frying pan of olive and browned the strips on each side. Other than the house smelling like fried oil, it was pretty easy. Right after, I placed them on paper towels and generously sprinkling with salt and pepper. I also tried some with garlic salt that was tasty also.
They are best eaten warm, right out of the skillet. I guess some folks eat panisse as an appetizer
Out of the mold, I cut cooled chick pea mush in 1/4″ to 3/8″ strips.
with white wine. My son dipped his in ketchup. They make for a tasty side dish and are not to hard to make except for the deep fryer smell left over in the house.
At the end of my adventure in cooking, I found out the competition wasn’t for the shortest panisse, but the shortest…um…male genetalia. Personally, I don’t see how you could fry something like that.
My home made recipe for panisse.
Frying up the raw panisse strips in olive oil.
1 quart water, brought to simmer.
2 teaspoons olive olive oil
3/4 teaspoons salt, mixed into the simmering water
2 1/4 cups chick pea flour whisked into the water.
Switch to spatula or wood spoon to mix until stiff mush.
Pour into 9 x 9 greased pan and cool
Cut into strips and fry in skillet of olive oil to the depth of the panisse you cut.
Top with salt, pepper, garlic, eat warm and dipped into your favorite sauce.