Clever chickpea fritter with a salad sensibility
At a recent visit to the Auberge at Ojai, the new “progressive American/French” restaurant where Christian Shaffer (of Avenue in Manhattan Beach and the recently closed Chloe in Playa del Rey) is chef, Times restaurant critic S. Irene Virbila was wowed by a chickpea fritter appetizer. “The flavor is reminiscent of socca, the chickpea pancakes sold on the streets of Nice in the south of France,” Virbila says, “but Shaffer makes it his own by serving it with a frisee salad strewn with pomegranate seeds in a cumin-scented vinaigrette.”
Auberge at Ojai’s chickpea fritters
Total time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Note: From Auberge at Ojai. Chickpea flour is available at Whole Foods Markets, Middle Eastern markets and Indian markets.
Fritters
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 large garlic clove
1 1/4 cups chickpea flour
Oil for deep-frying
1. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, add the milk, butter, salt and pepper. Use a microplane grater to grate the garlic clove over the pot. Heat until boiling.
2. Reduce the heat to low and slowly whisk in the chickpea flour. Whisk until the mixture is thick and smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the saucepan.
3. Spoon the batter out onto a greased rimmed baking sheet, making a layer one-half-inch thick. Use a spatula to smooth the top. Cool completely.
4. Cut the batter into 6 (3-inch) round circles. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Place paper towels on a baking sheet and set aside. Fry two at a time for 3 to 4 minutes, turning over halfway through the frying until golden brown. Remove to paper towels to drain. Continue with remaining fritters. Makes 6 fritters.
Salad and assembly
1/4 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds, ground
1 1/2 teaspoons champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons grape seed oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups torn frisee
2 small cremini mushrooms, shaved thin
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1. Make the dressing by whisking together the cumin, vinegar, olive and grape seed oils, salt and pepper in a bowl.
2. Combine the frisee, mushrooms and shallot in a bowl. Add the dressing and gently toss.
3. Place 1 fritter on each plate. Place about 2 tablespoons of frisee salad on top and serve.
Each serving: 429 calories; 8 grams protein; 18 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 37 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 18 mg. cholesterol; 357 mg. sodium.