Black Pepper Panisses With Cheddar

Made from chickpea flour, panisses are french-fry-like fritters common in parts of Italy and Southern France. Hot, crisp, and salty, they bear all the characteristics of a great snack to pair with drinks. The earthy, almost astringent quality, of the chickpea flour is offset by a not inconsiderable amount of indulgent butter and aged sharp cheddar, just enough to render the insides of the panisses soft and custardy while the outsides remain delicately crunchy. Shower more cheese over the panisses while they’re still hot so some of it melts into a delectable thin, lacy layer.

The long strips are dramatic and pretty but you could cut the panisse into more manageable finger lengths and rebrand them as chickpea fries.