Fried Chickpeas with rosemary & lemon – Little Big H

 

I’m excited to show you a little of where I grew up and spent most weekends as a teenager.  The beautiful beaches of Newcastle.  My girlfriends and I would catch the train every weekend in to town and go to the beach.  My family still live in Newcastle so I go back home often.  I have a lot of great memories here that I will pass onto my little guy.  He just loves the water and the ocean baths are perfect for little people, with shallow water that is super warm.  These golden, super crunchy chickpeas are the perfect snack to take along.

NEWCASTLE OCEAN BATHS, NEWCASTLE NSW

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  • 250 gm dried chickpeas , soaked overnight in cold water; drained
  • Olive oil for frying
  • 1/4 cup rosemary (loosely packed)
  • 2 garlic cloves , thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon of sweet paprika
  • finely grated rind of a lemon , plus a few wedges to serve
  • Finely grated parmesan to serve
  • Generously cover chickpeas with water in a saucepan, bring to the boil over medium heat and cook until tender (about 50 minutes). Then drain and and spread on a tray lined with baking paper to dry (30 minutes or so, it will help prevent the chickpeas from splitting in the hot oil)
  • Heat 1 cm of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, until just simmering. Add the chickpeas and cook stirring often until golden (about 5 minutes). Add the rosemary, and garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the lemon, stir, then strain through a metal sieve into a heatproof bowl. Sprinkle with the paprika and stir to combine. Generously season and top with the parmesan. Serve hot with a lemon wedge or they are equally delicious served cold

Keep in an airtight container once cooled completely Adapted from Gourmet Traveller Magazine – Annual Cookbook 2014