In Tuscany we love our legumes so much that we are known as Italy’s bean eaters!
Chickpea flour is traditionally used to make Cecina (find my version here).
This time I made some simple and quick chips you can serve as an appetizer with a good pecorino cheese, olives and a glass of Chianti. I like to use both traditional Tuscan herbs such as rosemary and sage, and to create a more international taste adding zaatar, harissa or curry.
The flatter and thinner the batter is spread on the baking sheet, the crispier the chips will be. They are best served right away so I suggest preparing the baking sheet in advance and pop it in the oven before serving.
Chickpea flour 1/2 cup
Cold water 1 cup
Chopped herbs- rosemary, sage or zaatar, harissa, curry, hot peppers…|
1 tablespoon EVOO + some for brushing
Salt, pepper
Mix flour, water and oil with a whisk, batter should be thicker than the Cecina batter but still easily spreadable on the baking sheet. Adjust salt and pepper.
Scoop 1 tbsp of batter and spread it on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, using the back of the spoon to make the chips thin.
Sprinkle your herb or spice of choice.
Bake for 10 min at 450 F. Pull them out, brush a little olive oil on top and return to the oven for 5 more min or until crispy. Keep an eye on them as they can easily burn at this stage.
Serve them hot. They keep well for a couple of days in an airtight container but I would put them back in the oven for a couple of minutes before serving.