This might be the first time you’re hearing of Chickpea Panisse, and honestly, I’m thrilled to introduce you to them. I’ve been on a mission to share them with all my friends and the students in my cooking classes. And it’s been nothing but rave reviews. So move over hummus, there’s a new chickpea snack in town!

This is truly a “I wish I had known about these sooner” type of moment for a lot of people. Lately I’ve been frying them up and eating them for lunch or a snack throughout the week, and they seem to go with everything in my fridge. Crispy outside, light & fluffy inside, and plays well with others. That checks a lot of boxes!

Feel Good Vibes

• Chickpea Panisse is high in plant-based protein and fiber, which helps stabilize blood sugar and keeps you full longer.
• This recipe is free of the top 8 allergens, making it a delicious snack for almost everyone.
• Chickpeas give us iron, magnesium, and B vitamins that support energy and overall metabolic health.
  

Ingredient Substitutions

• None recommended.

Recipe Tips & FAQs

• I highly recommend using Bob’s Red Mill chickpea flour, because I know it will work well for this recipe. You can usually find it at your local co-op or health food store.
• Unlike grits or polenta, you don’t need to “rain in” chickpea flour. You can mix the flour directly with the water in the bowl. It will not clump!
• I’m often asked what panisse means in my cooking classes. It’s a French word believed to come from the Italian “panissa,” which refers to any chickpea based recipes in Ligurian cuisine.
• It’s important to fry in high quality oil, but it can be expensive. Cut down on the cost by reusing your fry oil. Once your oil has cooled down, strain it through a fine mesh strainer into a dark container (I use the glass bottle my oil came in) and store it in a dark cabinet. It will last for 3 months or more if stored correctly. Toss when it smells rancid or gets very dark.
• An easy way to level out the top of your panisse batter is by laying a piece of parchment paper over the top. This will let you smooth the surface with your hand. Remove the plastic wrap once it’s smooth from corner to corner.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with Roasted Chicken Thighs.
• Great with a Frittata for brunch.
• Pairs really well with a big salad like this one with Sherry Dijon Vinaigrette.
• Tastes great with za’atar spice or herbs de provence sprinkled on top and served with a garlic aioli.

Storage and Shelf Life

Make Ahead: Make the batter 3-4 days ahead, refrigerate and then fry when you’re ready.

Refrigerate: 3-4 days in an airtight container.

Freezer: no

Reheat Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425˚F and place the fried panisse on a baking sheet with a resting rack. Bake until hot and crispy, about 8-10 minutes.

Final Thoughts

If you’re not familiar with me already, I’ll let you in on a poorly kept secret: I like my life a l’il chic and a l’il bourgie, but I also like it all to feel almost completely effortless. And these Chickpea Panisse understand the mission.

Automatically chic because they are the epitome of French bistro fare, and if that isn’t chic I don’t know what is. Bourgie because they feel slightly exotic, like your french fries got a first class plane ticket. And after you’ve made them once, you’ll realize they are not complicated at all, and making them will feel effortless.

I can still remember trying these Chickpea Panisse for the first time in Paris for my 30th birthday trip. I had on a lavender cotton dress with a big floral print, my vintage Wrangler jean jacket and a thick, woven, hot pink scarf I bought in Guatemala. I’ve still got that jacket and scarf!

Some Jackie O sunglasses were definitely on my face, helping me channel my Parisian chic even through my mouthful of braces. I was sitting at a little bistro table in the 17th arrondissement when these landed on my radar, after struggling to order a bottle of water from the garçon. “Une carafe d’eau, s’il vous plaît!”

You would have thought I was butchering the word for water, judging by the way he winced. As if I had taken a dull Opinel pocket knife to the French language. It was worth the struggle once I pointed to the next table’s panisse and got my own order. They were an absolute revelation.

Have you tried this recipe yet? If so, please share your experience in the comments below. I honestly cannot wait to hear from you about this one! And don’t forget to sign up for the Everyday Alchemy newsletter here.

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Chickpea Panisse

Crispy outside meets fluffy inside with Chickpea Panisse, a gluten free French bistro classic. It's a perfect snack, appetizer or side.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine French-inspired

Special Diet Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Season Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter

Recipe Type Sides, Snacks

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Chilling 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Equipment

• 8×8 baking dish

Ingredients

• 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill chickpea flour
• 4 cups filtered water
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus 2 more tablespoons for cooking
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• 4 cups avocado oil for deep frying
• Or 2 tablespoons avocado oil for pan frying
• Flaky salt for garnish
• Za’atar seasoning for garnish

Instructions

• Place a sheet of parchment paper in an 8×8 baking dish.
• Mix together 2 cups chickpea flour, 4 cups filtered water, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper in a medium sized bowl.
• Preheat a heavy bottomed 4 quart pot on medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Pour in the chickpea batter and stir with a straight sided wooden spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot so it doesn’t stick. Cook for 8 minutes, or until the batter starts to pull away from the sides of the pot. It should be thick like polenta.
• Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading all the way to the edges and smoothing out the top. Allow the batter to cool down completely for an hour in the fridge, then remove it from the mold. It should feel firm and sliceable.
• Cut the panisse into batons, about ½ an inch thick and 3 and a ½ inches long.
• Preheat the 4 cups of avocado oil to 350˚F and line a baking sheet with paper towels. If you prefer to pan fry instead of deep fry, use a nonstick skillet with 2 tablespoons of avocado oil. Cook on medium high heat, rotating the panisse on all sides until golden brown.
• Carefully add the panisse to the pot, working in batches and being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden brown on all sides, about 3-4 minutes.
• Remove the panisse from the oil and place on the paper towel lined tray. Season with flaky salt and za’atar. Serve hot. Check FAQ section for tips on how to store the used fry oil.

Julia LeRoy

Hi, I’m Julia.
I’m a chef and wellness advocate passionate about helping others live well through nourishing food. I trained at the Culinary Institute of America and now work as a personal chef and community food advocate in Atlanta.

Want to know what inspired me to start Everyday Alchemy? Click the link icon below to read more.

everydayalchemy.com/about/

The post Chickpea Panisse appeared first on Everyday Alchemy.

Now this is how you ring in the New Year, folks. This rich and decadent appetizer feels like such a sophisticated splurge, and it’s sure to be the star of your big, festive evening. So put on your chicest ensemble, light the sparklers, and dig into this extravagant Caviar Pie. 

Of course it’s not just exclusive to New Year’s Eve, it’s a great exclamation point for any worthy celebration you might have coming up. Birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, promotions, finding that missing sock you’ve been hunting down for over a week and a half, these are all great excuses to break out this celebratory dish.

Feel Good Vibes

Across traditional cultures worldwide, fish eggs were often reserved for couples trying to conceive, because elders understood just how nourishing they were. Today we just call it caviar, pop a bottle of champagne, and reserve it for parties.

Is caviar basically “a vitamin“?

Not literally, but it’s about as close as a whole food gets.
Caviar and fish roe are incredibly concentrated sources of:

Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA + DHA) — Support brain health, mood, and reduce inflammation.
Vitamin B12 — Boosts energy, nerve health, and red blood cell production.
Vitamin D — Supports immunity, hormone balance, and strong bones.
Choline — Essential for brain function, metabolism, and liver health.
Selenium — Antioxidant that supports thyroid function and cellular protection.
Folate (in some types) — Key for cell growth and DNA synthesis.
High-quality protein + bioavailable minerals — Provide building blocks for muscle repair and overall vitality.

You’re essentially eating a nutrient package that nature designed to support new life.

Recipe Tips & FAQs

• Can you switch up the kinds of caviar in this recipe? Absolutely. Feel free to make it work within your tastes and budget. There’s several varieties of caviar and fish roe out there, so get to experimenting. You might be surprised, sometimes the more affordable varieties can end up being your personal favorite! Smoked trout roe is pretty cheap and in my opinion it is the best.
• I highly recommend using a mother of pearl spoon to serve this Caviar Pie, but you don’t have to. People are fanatical about using them because certain metals are reactive and change the flavor of the caviar, but modern stainless steel is not reactive and completely safe. I’ll keep using mother-of-pearl because you know I love me some aesthetically pleasing serve ware, but you should make your own choices!

Serving Suggestions

• The healthy choice is to serve this Caviar Pie with seaweed snacks.
• If you’re going for a low brow/high brow vibe— I recommend serving this with sour cream & onion potato chips. It feels a little naughty but it sure does taste good.
• Pair with mini Omusubis for a chic New Year’s Eve appetizer spread.

Storage and Shelf Life

Make Ahead: The herbed cream cheese and egg salad can be made up to 2 days ahead and assembled before serving.

Refrigerate: Most definitely keep this refrigerated. 

Freezer: Never.

Final Thoughts

For the past several years, this has been part of my New Year’s Eve tradition and I hope to continue on with it for all of my days. I learned about it from an extremely chic Grande Dame of one of those storied Atlanta families, who casually plopped it down on the counter at a small get together of friends that I catered years ago. The minute she explained to me what it was I vowed to make and eat Caviar Pie as often as my Amex would let me. 

When I make it, it makes me feel sparkly and a little devious. Especially if I lean into the high brow/low brow energy of it and eat super fancy caviar with a bag of sour cream & onion potato chips. It’s giving irreverent, bourgie but barely trying vibes and I’m here for it. I think you will be too.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how you served it in the comments below, I’m excited to hear all about it! And don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter here.

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Caviar Pie

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Special Diet Gluten Free, Grain Free, Nut Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free

Season Fall, Winter

Recipe Type Appetizer, Holiday, Snacks

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 32 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

• For the Egg Salad:
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon green onion washed and sliced thin
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• Sea salt to taste
• Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
• For the Herb Spread:
• ½ cup cream cheese room temperature
• ½ teaspoon fresh parsley
• ½ teaspoon fresh green onions
• ½ teaspoon fresh dill
• For the Caviar:
• 1 (30 gram) jar of ossetra caviar
• 2 ounce jar smoked trout roe
• Dipping Options:
• Potato Chips, Seaweed Snacks, Crackers

Instructions

• Make the Egg Salad: Submerge 3 eggs in a pot of cold water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat and cover the pot with a lid for 10 minutes.
• Take a mixing bowl and fill it with ice and water to create an ice bath. When the timer goes off, remove the eggs from the water and chill in the ice bath. Peel the eggs and place them back in the cold water.
• Once all the eggs are peeled, small dice them and mix with 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon green onions, and ½ teaspoon smoked paprika. Season with salt and pepper and keep refrigerated until needed.
• Make the Herb Spread: Wash and chop ½ teaspoon each fresh parsley, green onions and dill. Place the herbs and ½ cup cream cheese in a bowl and mix until combined. Keep refrigerated until needed.
• Assemble: Spread the herb spread along the bottom of a large ramekin or fancy shallow dish, then top with the egg salad. Garnish with the osetra and smoked trout roe. Serve with potato chips, seaweed snacks or crackers.

Julia LeRoy

Hi, I’m Julia.
I’m a chef and wellness advocate passionate about helping others live well through nourishing food. I trained at the Culinary Institute of America and now work as a personal chef and community food advocate in Atlanta.

Want to know what inspired me to start Everyday Alchemy? Click the link icon below to read more.

everydayalchemy.com/about/

The post Caviar Pie appeared first on Everyday Alchemy.