Читать книгу The Intolerant Gourmet: Free-from Recipes for Everyone - Pippa Kendrick - Страница 18

Falafel with Parsley and Tomato Salad

I simply adore falafel – dense, fragrant and completely moreish. A perfect treat when served as a starter, they are equally wonderful as part of a larger feast – my Honey-baked Leg of Lamb and Persian Jewelled Quinoa spring to mind. I like to serve them with a tomato and parsley salad – a variation on the Middle Eastern tradition of serving a bowlful of mixed fresh herbs with a meal. I think it lends the perfect bite and contrast to the softly spiced falafel. A dab of houmous wouldn’t go amiss either.

Serves 4

—

1 white onion

1 clove of garlic

1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

½ tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp chilli powder

2 tbsp gluten-free plain

flour (ideally Doves Farm)

2 tbsp groundnut or rapeseed oil

For the salad

A very large bunch of flat-leaf parsley

2 ripe tomatoes

½ red onion

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Finely chop the onion and crush the garlic, then place in a food processor with the chickpeas, sea salt and spices and blitz until you have a rough paste. Tip the mixture into a bowl, cover and chill in the fridge for up to an hour or until firm.

Scoop up a tablespoonful of the chickpea mixture and, using the palms of your hands, carefully form it into a small round cake, approximately 2.5cm/1in in diameter. Repeat with the rest of the mixture to form about twelve falafel, then coat lightly and evenly in the flour and return to the fridge until ready to fry.

Next prepare the salad, first trimming the stalks from the parsley. Skin the tomatoes by placing them in a bowl, covering in boiling water and leaving for 1 minute. Drain and carefully peel away the tomato skins (they should slide off with ease), then slice in half, scoop out the seeds and finely dice the flesh. Dice the onion and combine in a bowl with the tomatoes and parsley leaves. Drizzle with the olive oil, season well with salt and pepper and toss lightly.

Heat the groundnut or rapeseed oil in a heavy-based frying pan and fry the falafel over a medium heat for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden all over – you may have to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your pan. Serve while hot with a handful of the fragrant parsley and tomato salad.