Crispy Rosemary Chickpeas
Last weekend we grabbed dinner at one of our favorite spots in town for a low-key date night, Brasserie V. We’re addicted to their moules et frites, but recently we’ve been craving their bistro salad and burger, which we like to split. We usually don’t even look at the menu, but we did this time just to double check we didn’t want to branch out. In doing so I noticed a new appetizer on the menu that had me totally intrigued. Crispy chickpeas? With rosemary, sea salt and SarVecchio? We didn’t order them, but I decided they sounded simple enough to give them a whirl at home. Well, I’m kind of hooked. These little guys are going to be our new snack of choice, I can tell. And they’re kind of perfect at the end of a long week (or day) with a Belgian beer or glass of crisp, white wine. I could go on about their crispy deliciousness, but let’s get right on to the recipe!
Crispy Rosemary Chickpeas
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1-2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped fine
Maldon sea salt
SarVecchio
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place chickpeas on a paper towel and place another paper towel on top. Leave them there for about 10 minutes—the paper towels will soak up the moisture for you. Add chickpeas to a bowl, drizzle with enough olive oil to coat them well, but no need to overdo it. Season with sea salt, garlic and rosemary. I didn’t measure the salt and rosemary—just eyeball it so there’s a nice amount of seasoning to go around and impart some flavor. You can play around with the seasonings used too—smoked paprika and cayenne pepper, cumin and curry, etc. Spread chickpeas onto a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes; toss then bake another 15 minutes. Transfer crispy chickpeas to a bowl and top with a little additional chopped rosemary and a couple grates (using a microplane) of SarVecchio.