Chickpea Bagnat

Chickpea Bagnat

Based on Deb Perelman's recipe in Smitten Kitchen.

Ingredients

Makes

  • 1 ~400g can chickpeas
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • ½ lemon
  • 1 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Chili flakes
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 8-inch ciabatta rolls / baguettes
  • ½ small red onion
  • Red wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp capers (drained)
  • ¼ cup black olives
  • 1 small cucumber (or equivalent amount of red pepper, fennel, artichoke hearts)
  • 1 plum tomato
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Hard-boiled eggs

  1. Bring a pot of water deep enough to cover large eggs to a boil.
  2. Gently lower 2 eggs into it using a spoon.
  3. Cook for 9 minutes.
  4. Plunge them in a bowl of iced water until they're fully cold (~15 minutes).
  5. Peel the eggs. If they give you any resistance, peel them under running water.

Smashed chickpeas

  1. Drain and rinse the 1 ~400g can of chickpeas. Very lightly smash the chickpea mixture with the back of a fork.
  2. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil, the zest and juice of half a lemon and 1 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley. Mix.
  3. Season well with ½ tsp salt, black pepper, and chili flakes.

Assembly

  1. Thinly slice ½ small red onion, ¼ cup black olives, 1 small cucumber (or other vegetables), 1 plum tomato, and the hard-boiled eggs.
  2. Split 2 bread rolls in half, and drizzle both sides generously with olive oil.
  3. Spoon the smashed chickpeas on the bottom half of the rolls
  4. Top with the onion, and a little drizzle of red wine vinegar.
  5. Add eggs, and season with salt and pepper.
  6. Add the 1 Tbsp capers, olives, and cucumber. Add another gentle drizzle of olive oil and smaller dribble of red wine vinegar.
  7. Finish with the tomatoes and more salt and pepper on top.
  8. Close the sandwiches and wrap them in foil. Set a few of your heaviest pans or books on top for 10 minutes to encourage the ingredients to mingle.