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Chickpea Fries
© Tina Rupp

Chickpea Fries

Contributed by
  • ACTIVE:
  • TOTAL TIME:
  • SERVINGS: 6 to 8
  • •MAKE-AHEAD
  • •VEGETARIAN

Park Kitchen • Portland, OR

At this excellent little restaurant, Scott Dolich (a Food & Wine Magazine Best New Chef 2004) serves these crisp-outside-tender-inside jumbo fries with homemade pumpkin ketchup, but they're also wonderful on their own. He spikes the fries with sambal oelek, a bright red Southeast Asian chile sauce available at Asian markets.

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  1. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  2. 1 small onion, minced
  3. 4 garlic cloves, minced
  4. 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
  5. 1 1/2 teaspoons sambal oelek
  6. 4 cups water
  7. 2 cups chickpea flour
  8. Kosher salt
  9. Vegetable oil, for frying
  10. All-purpose flour, for dusting
  1. Lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic and rosemary and cook over moderate heat until the onion is very tender, 6 minutes. Stir in the sambal oelek. Add the water and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the chickpea flour until smooth. Reduce the heat to low and whisk until very thick, about 6 minutes. Season with salt. Spread evenly in the oiled baking pan and press plastic wrap on the surface. Refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours.
  2. In a large pot, heat 2 inches of oil to 350°. Cut the chickpea mixture into 4-by-3/4-inch fries and pat dry with paper towels. Lightly dust the fries with flour. Fry in batches until golden, 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels, season with salt and serve.