Achiote-Seared Chickpeas
Lou Lambert, another one of my chef friends who grew up on a ranch, now owns two Texas restaurants—Lamberts Downtown Barbecue in Austin, and Lambert’s steak house in Fort Worth. Lou got the idea for his seared chickpeas when he was a kid growing up on the family ranch near Odessa. “We had a camp cook who would make hominy loaded with chili powder and garlic. I adapted his dish with chickpeas. I originally put this on the menu at the first Lambert’s on South Congress, and it has been a mainstay at all the restaurants since.” I’ve been coveting this recipe ever since I first tasted it at Lou’s first restaurant. Now that I have it, I know it will become a mainstay for me, too, especially when I have some entertaining to do.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 8 as a side dish or appetizer
Ingredients
Achiote Oil
Roasted Tomatoes
Chickpeas
Preparation
Step 1
TO MAKE THE ACHIOTE OIL: In the jar of a blender, process the oil and achiote paste until smooth. Pour into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat to about 200°F on a candy thermometer, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let steep for at least 30 minutes. Strain the infused oil through a fine strainer, reserving the oil and discarding the achiote.
Step 2
TO MAKE THE ROASTED TOMATOES: Preheat the oven to 225°F. Lay the tomatoes, cut side up, on a baking pan. Sprinkle the cut sides of the tomatoes with the 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt. Roast until the tomatoes are lightly browned and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 hours. Coarsely chop and set aside.
Step 3
TO MAKE THE CHICKPEAS: In a skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the 1 cup achiote oil. Drop the garlic into the hot oil, swirling the pan. As soon as the garlic browns lightly, which will happen quickly, add the chickpeas and increase the heat to high. Let the chickpeas sear in the hot pan for about 1 minute before stirring, then continue to cook until the peas begin to sizzle and pop. Stir in the chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Add the caramelized onion and the 3 chopped roasted tomatoes and continue to cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and continue to cook for another minute. Remove the pan from the heat and fold in the arugula, oregano, parsley, and half the goat cheese. Transfer the chickpeas to a serving platter and crumble the remaining goat cheese over the top. Serve with the toasted pita bread.
do it early
Step 4
Make the achiote oil and the roasted tomatoes up to 1 week in advance and refrigerate. The chickpeas and toasted pita bread should be made just before serving.
tip
Step 5
Achiote paste is made from the achiote seed, which comes from the annatto tree. Dark red in color, it’s commonly used in Indian, Spanish, and Latin American dishes. Look for it in the Mexican food aisle at most grocery stores.
