Local Cookbooks: Crispy Chickpeas

Though peanuts are legumes, they’re the ones that are most often served in their roasted, “hard” form (except for those terrible boiled peanuts down South), whereas other beans tend to be cooked to a soft consistency. That, I suppose, is why my first taste of roasted chickpeas was such a revelation. The crunchy exterior suggests peanut-like product, yet the interior remains a touch creamy, like a bean. One you try them, you’ll wish they were part of every cocktail nut mix you encounter going forward.

Crispy Chickpeas Recipe
(via Corked & Forked: Four Seasons of Eats and Drinks, by Keith Wallace)

• 1 16oz can chickpeas
• 2 TBSP EVOO
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp curry powder

Preheat oven to 400. Drain, rinse and dry chickpeas. In a mixing bowl, combine chickpeas, olive oil, salt and curry until thoroughly combined. Spread mixture onto sheet pan and roast for about 40 minutes, shaking occasionally, until they turn crispy. Best served immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.