Category: Snacks
& Side Dishes

Pound Down Purée

Ingredients:

chick peas
sesame seeds
salt
balsamic vinegar
olive oil

Pick over, rinse and soak two cups of chick peas (céci, garbanzos, chana, you know which I mean.) The next morning, bring them to the boil very slowly in their soaking liquid and cook until the cotyledons are beginning to split apart. Allow the cooking liquor to reduce until it is just below the level of the peas. Cover and set aside.
Run a quarter cup of fine clean brown sesame seeds through your spice grinder, or whirl them in a blender. Add half a teaspoon of salt and a quarter cup of the liquid from the chana peas. Whirl again, or work in a mortar with a pestle until a smooth paste forms.
Crush the garbanzos and a little of their liquid in a food mill, blender, or mortar. Add more of their cooking liquid as you need to but keep the mixture stiff. Be sure to be satisfied with the texture of the legumes before you add the sesame and the acidifier, as the mixture will set very quickly.
Add two tablespoons of good balsamic vinegar and the sesame preparation. Mix well.
Dish the purée into one or two serving bowls and cover the top of the contents with just a few drops of your best olive oil.
Chill for two hours. This will allow the flavours to meld and the texture to firm up.
Garnish with parsley sprigs and any other fresh herbs you have.
Serve with grilled fresh bread, some olives or other pickles, oil, vinegar and lemon wedges. To make a complete meal of this, bake some vegetables brushed with oil and vinegar to serve alongside, as in our Roasted Vegetables.

Notes:

Recipe Index

More Snacks:

Roasted Céci (Garbanzos) | Fava Snacks  | Picquant Pepitas  | Baked Plantain Slices  | Beans on Toast  | Shallot Panisse  |