Crispianity: Three Ways To Crunch Up A Salad
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This recipe is part of Crispianity: a column devoted to all foods crispy and crunchy, two of the most underappreciated attributes of a great dish. Author Adeena Sussman is a food writer and recipe developer, pairing here with her photographer friend Evan Sung. Sussman's most recent cookbook, coauthored with Lee Brian Schrager, is America's Best Breakfasts: Favorite Local Recipes From Coast to Coast.
A salad is a terrible thing to waste. As a devotee of texture in all things edible, I see a bowl of tender green leaves without a crunchy or crispy topping as a missed opportunity. The three-dimensional topography of a salad just begs for additions my boyfriend's family so aptly calls "salad toys." Here are three to liven up your lettuce: A seed-and-grain mix, including uncooked quinoa, that gets a saltwater wash before a crunch-inducing oven bake; crispy shallots because they're the best thing on earth; and spicy, crunchy baked chickpeas that double as beer's perfect partner.
- 2 tablespoons warm water
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup raw sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1/4 cup nigella seeds
- 1/4 cup flaxseeds
- 4 large shallots
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
- vegetable oil
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- :::Mixed Seeds:::
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl dissolve the water with the salt. Add the nuts, toss to coat, transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet and bake until fragrant and toasted, 20 minutes. Cool completely. Mixed seeds last, sealed in an airtight container, for up to one month.
- :::Crispy Shallots:::
- Fill a three- or four-quart saucepan just under halfway with oil and heat to 360°F.
- Slice the shallots very thinly on a mandoline, or with a very sharp knife. Add them to a Ziploc bag with the flour, salt, and pepper. Shake to coat, then pull the shallots out with a Chinese spider, letting the excess flour fall back into the bag.
- Working in batches, fry the shallots until golden, pulling them out when they’re a nice toasty color but not too dark because they’ll continue to darken a bit; drain on paper towels and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Shallots will keep in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
- :::Crispy Smoky Spicy Baked Chickpeas:::
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Dry the chickpeas well between two clean kitchen towels. Carefully pour the chickpeas into a bowl and toss them with the olive oil, sugar, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Bake until crispy, 30-35 minutes. Serve warm, or cool and serve at room temperature. If they get soggy, the chickpeas can be re-crisped in a 400°F oven for about 10 minutes.