Spicy Crisps With Chickpea Dip

Ingredients (Serves 4)

◆ 400g Maris Piper potatoes, scrubbed

◆ Vegetable oil for deep frying

◆ 2tsp Za’atar seasoning – see Cook’s Tip

◆ Salt

◆ 100g roasted red pepper

◆ 400g can chickpeas

◆ 2 garlic cloves, peeled

◆ 3tbsp sundried tomato paste

◆ 1tbsp sesame oil

◆ Vegetable sticks to serve

1

Slice the potatoes very thinly – use a mandolin slicer if preferred. Place in a bowl, cover with cold water and soak for 30 minutes. Drain and blot with kitchen paper to dry.

2

Heat the oil for deep frying to 150°C. Fry the potato slices in 4 batches, keeping the oil around 130°C, for 5-7 minutes depending on thickness, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp. Drain and cool on kitchen paper, dust with the seasoning and salt and pack in an airtight container until ready to serve.

3

For the dip, blitz the pepper in a blender until smooth, then transfer to a bowl. Drain the chickpeas, reserving 100ml canning juice, and put in the blender with the garlic, tomato paste, sesame oil, salt, and the reserved canning juice. Blitz until smooth. Spoon into a sealable container, marble in the pepper purée and chill until required.

4Serve

the dip with the crisps and vegetable sticks. Cook’s Tip: Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend of dried oregano, thyme, sesame seeds, sumac, coriander and cumin. It is delicious sprinkled over hot buttered bread. You can use any favourite spice mix as an alternative.