Ingredients
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2 cups Water
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1 Lemon
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Salt
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1 tbsp Olive Oil
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2 cups (240 g) Chickpea Flour
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18 oz (500 g) small fish such as Anchovy
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2 Egg White
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Vegetable Oil
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1 recipe Mayonnaise
Directions
In Nice, they have a penchant for panisse-nibbling between meals. A chickpea-flour cake sliced into rounds, fingers, or cubes, fried, and then sprinkled with salt or dusted with confectioners’ sugar for the kids, panisse can also pop up as an accompaniment to main courses or as a crunchy salad garnish. I love serving them as chips alongside fried fish and a spicy harissa mayonnaise, which gives a nod to Marseille’s long history with North Africa.
Steps
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1
Done
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Pour the water into a large pot and add half the lemon zest, a pinch of salt, and the olive oil. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and then pour in 1 cup plus 2 tbsp/140 g of the chickpea flour. Stir with a wooden spoon while the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. |
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2
Done
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Grease the baking dish and then pour in the chickpea mixture. Spread it out to ½ inch thick and refrigerate until needed. |
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3
Done
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Preheat the oven to 200°F and place a wire rack on a baking sheet or on the middle oven rack. Pat the fish dry. Place three plates in front of you: put the remaining chickpea flour on one plate, the egg whites on another, and leave the third empty. Dip the fish first in the flour, then in the egg whites, and again in the flour. Shake off any excess flour and place on the clean plate. |
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4
Done
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Pour vegetable oil into a pan to a depth of at least 1¼ inches, and place over high heat. The oil is hot enough if a small piece of bread dropped in sizzles as soon as it hits the oil. Gently place a few of the fish in the hot oil (do not crowd the pan). Fry for 2 minutes on one side; flip and fry for 2 minutes more, until golden brown. Transfer to the wire rack in the oven. Repeat until all the fish are fried. |
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5
Done
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Unmold the chickpea mixture carefully and slice it into ½-inchthick chips. Be careful, as it will break easily. Bring the oil back to a high heat, adding more to the pan if needed. Fry the chips in batches until golden brown on all sides, keeping the cooked ones warm on the wire rack in the oven. Sprinkle the chips with salt and serve immediately with the fish, mayonnaise, and lemon wedges. |
