Fried Chickpeas

With the holidays coming up and the culmination of major sporting events (i.e. World Series), the next few months are some of the best for those of you who love entertaining as much as I do. One of my favorite nighttime activities is cooking up special little dinners for two or three with a little starter, a main course, and (if I still have the energy) dessert. But there's something so fun about making a big feast for a crowd composed of delicious, little hors d'oeuvres that make up one big meal.

These fried chickpeas are very good for that exact purpose. You can have a batch ready to go in less than five minutes, set them on your counter or bar so that people can snack at will, and feel assured that you've offered your guests something way more impressive than your average potato chips and popcorn bowls. Also (and more to the point), these little guys are addictively good. They're briefly fried so that the skins are crisp, winged, and lightly browned, and the insides are warm and creamy. The final touch is a finishing sprinkle of Pimenton and Maldon sea salt--yum. I could eat a bowl of them to myself. Try them out and let me know how it goes. All photos by Mark Iantosca. Recipe down below. xo

Fried Chickpeas
From The Essential New York Times Cookbook, by Amanda Hesser
Ingredients:
Canola oil for deep frying
One 16-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and patted dry
Maldon sea salt
Spanish smoked paprika (pimenton) 

Directions:
Pour 1 inch of canola oil into a deep saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot enough to toast a bread crumb in 30 seconds, it's ready. Carefully add the chickpeas to the oil and fry until the outer skins form crisp shells but the peas are still creamy inside, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels, and season with Maldon salt and smoked paprika.