Alison Roman’s Frizzled Chickpeas and Onion with Feta and Oregano
In this easy recipe from Alison Roman, chickpeas and sliced onions are gently fried on a pan with garlic and oregano until golden and crispy. The addition of feta adds a lovely tangy touch to round off this vegetarian meal or side dish.
Introduction
I’m not sure ‘frizzled’ is a technical term, but once you cook the onion with these chickpeas, you’ll understand what I mean and see there is no other way to describe them. Not quite fried, not quite caramelised, they sizzle and crisp and caramelise in a good amount of olive oil along with smashed garlic, resulting in what can only be described as frizzled. This is good even just there, but adding fresh marjoram and tangy feta makes this a truly dreamy dish that I have eaten as my main meal more than once, nuzzled up next to a very runny, crispy-edged fried egg.
Ingredients
| 125ml (4fl oz/½ cup) | olive oil |
| 1 large | red or yellow onion, thinly sliced |
| kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| 2 × 425g (15oz) tins | chickpeas, drained and rinsed |
| 4 | garlic cloves, smashed |
| pinch of | chilli flakes |
| 4 | marjoram or oregano sprigs, leaves picked |
| 60g (2oz) | Greek, Bulgarian or French feta, very thinly sliced or crumbled |
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium–high heat. Add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened and is just starting to brown, 5–8 minutes.
Add the chickpeas, garlic, chilli flakes, and half the marjoram leaves. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat in the oily business. Continue to cook, shaking the pan occasionally to ensure nothing is sticking and that the chickpeas are getting equal attention from the oil and heat, until the chickpeas are golden brown and appear fried around the edges, and the onion is a deep golden brown and looks somewhere between fried and caramelised – a term we now call ‘frizzled’.
Taste a chickpea (or two) and make sure it’s plenty seasoned, adding salt and pepper to taste, and a pinch of chilli flakes if you like things on the spicier side.
Remove from the heat and transfer to a large serving bowl. Top with the feta and remaining marjoram.
Do ahead: Chickpeas can be made a few hours ahead, kept loosely covered at room temperature. Feel free to reheat in a pan over medium–high heat before serving, as they’ll lose a bit of crispness as they sit.
Eat with:
Vinegared Apples with Persimmon and White Cheddar (page 103 of Nothing Fancy)
Slow-Roasted Oregano Chicken with Buttered Tomatoes (page 189 of Nothing Fancy)
Reviews
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