20230304 Fried chickpea tabbouleh

The classic salad requires bulgur. However, I don't enjoy bulgur and I'm mad for chickpeas in any form, so...

• Cooked chickpeas, canned is fine, drained
• Extra virgin olive oil, fresh*
• Salt

Salt and gently fry chickpeas in plenty of fresh olive oil*. Be patient, keeping temp well below smoking/flash point until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

• Persian or English cucumber(s), peeled, quartered lengthwise, then sliced
• Bell pepper(s), orange and/or red, cut into pleasing shapes
• Some of your favorite onion, sliced or diced
• Parsley, mandatory, coarsely chopped
• Cherry tomatoes, halved
• Radishes, thinly sliced
• Mint, whole leaves
• Lemon(s)

Proportion to your taste. Omit or substitute veg if not available extra fresh. Cut the veg into shapes and sizes as their form dictates (suggestions above). Chunky bites are fine. Part of the magic of this dish is the physical variety of ingredients. Add to one big bowl except the parsley.

After chickpeas are room temp, add them to big bowl. Squeeze in juice from one lemon. Toss it all together. Add more lemon, oil, salt to taste. Transfer to serving bowl/container then top 1/3 of the surface with thick layer of parsley (perhaps we can bend the definition of tabbouleh to omit bulgur, but it definitely won't qualify without a load of parsley). Leave 2/3 surface ungarnished to show off the colors and shapes of other ingredients.

(*) Olive oil goes rancid quickly. Only buy as much at a time as you can use in a month or two. Store it in wine fridge if you have one, or the coolest/lowest cabinet.