Panisse (Chicpea Fries)

These Chickpea Panisses are Well-Traveled

I first tried chickpea panisses while working at an elegant tasting menu restaurant. Instead of fries, the lamb burger on the bar menu came with a neat stack of these golden rectangles, thick-cut and stacked, Jenga-style, into a little tower, a ramekin of fiery green chermoula tucked alongside for dipping. 

The outside had that satisfying crisp-tender fried texture, and the inside was soft and custardy. Anytime one of the line cooks passed me one, hot out of the fryer, I palmed it, then passed it quickly from hand to hand until it cooled enough to eat on the spot. 

Once I started making them at home, I was surprised that they’re not more common. They’re easy to make, requiring just a few ingredients, and they’re as satisfying as French fries! 

What are Panisse?

Panisses are chickpea flour fries, and they belong to a whole family of similar dishes from along the northwestern Mediterranean coast; from Liguria, south to Sicily, across the French border into the seaside cities of Provençe.

In Liguria, where they’re called panissa, they’re a cousin to another famous chickpea dish, the chickpea flour pancake farinata. The main difference between the two is thickness and the means of cooking. Farinata is baked while panissa is fried. Travel south to Sicily, and you’ll find very similar fritters called panella or panelle. 

In France, where they’re called panisses, they’re a street food staple, especially in Nice and Marseille, and though they likely arrived in France thanks to Italian workers who moved there, the two cities maintain a rivalry over who makes the best version. 

Key Ingredients

• Chickpea flour, AKA garbanzo bean flour, is the star of the whole show, and you really can’t substitute it. Made from finely ground dried chickpeas, it gives panisses their signature flavor, and the chickpea starch is what holds the batter together. Look for it in the baking or gluten-free section of most well-stocked grocery stores. If you have an Indian grocery store near you, you’ll find it labeled besan. 
• Extra virgin olive oil: You’ll use olive oil on repeat in this recipe — to grease the pan, to oil your cutting board, and generously in the pan for frying — so it’s worth reaching for a bottle you love. And yes, it’s ok to pan-fry these using extra-virgin olive oil!
• Water is all you need to transform the dry flour into a creamy base for this recipe. 
• Kosher salt is used to season the flour as it cooks and again to finish the panisses.

How to Make Panisse 

Many panisse recipes cook the chickpea flour like pasta, adding it to boiling water, but while testing this recipe, I found that method almost always leads to a lumpy batter.

I tried cooking it the way we make polenta instead, adding the flour to the water and then bringing the mixture to a boil. I found the mixture stays smoother this way, and it’s faster, too!

• Get ready. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and then brush the pan with a thin layer of olive oil. 
• Cook the chickpea mixture. Combine 2 cups chickpea flour (300g), 4 cups water, and 2 teaspoons Kosher salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Set the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking constantly, to prevent the mixture from scorching on the bottom, until smooth, thick, and uniform, about 5 minutes. The mixture will be smooth and sticky.
• Cool the chickpea mixture. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Oil a spatula and smooth the top into an even layer. Cool at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator until completely firm, at least 2 hours and preferably overnight.
• Slice into fries. Oil a cutting board and gently invert the chickpea mixture on top of it. Peel away the parchment paper. Slice the slab in half, and then slice each half into 12 to 14 batons or fries. You can cut them thinner or thicker, if you like, but they’re fragile, and I find keeping them on the thick side (about 3/4-inch) makes them easier to work with, or at least less likely to break. Gently pat them dry. 
• Fry the panisses. In a 12-inch nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron pan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of the panisses and pan fry on each side until they’re golden-brown all over, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and immediately sprinkle with salt. Repeat the process with the second batch, adding 3 more tablespoons of olive oil, as needed. Serve immediately, while piping hot, with chermoula and/or aioli for dipping. 

Can you Air Fry Panisse?

I tried it. I found that when air-fried panisses held their shape, but I didn’t get those golden brown edges to contrast the creamy interior. Instead, they were just kind of dry and pale. For this recipe, I would still with pan frying and skip the air fryer.

Troubleshooting Panisse

There’s one key mistake that I made (more than once) while developing this recipe: trying to rush the process. To hold their shape, you must chill panisses before frying them. 

Frying them while they’re still fridge-cold allows them to develop a crust outside before the interior temperature warms and they soften too much. Even though the batter will set up at room temperature enough to slice, I found that while frying them at room temperature, they totally softened and fell apart in the pan!

What to Serve with Panisse 

Serve them as a side:

• Because my introduction to this dish was alongside a Middle Eastern-spiced lamb burger, I think of that as a great pairing. 
• They would also be delicious as a side for baked kofta pita sandwiches or harissa grilled chicken. 
• Add a colorful, crunchy salad, like this Italian chopped salad. 

Add a dipping sauce:

• Chermoula isn’t mandatory, but this bright, herbaceous North African herb sauce is absolutely electric alongside these panisses. You can make it from scratch, or grab a jar of our Villa Jerada Red Chermoula from the shop; its savory-sweet sun-dried tomato base and warmly spiced flavor is one of my favorites.
• Aioli makes a wonderful dipping sauce. Whip up a quick batch or make a shortcut version by adding some lemon zest and grated garlic to your favorite mayonnaise.