Chickpea Fritters (Revithokeftedes)

INGREDIENTS

(makes 40 chickpea patties)

For the chickpea patties:

300g chickpeas

6 spring (/ green) onions cut into thin slices

1 onion, finely-chopped

2 cloves garlic, grated

300g all-purpose flour

½ bunch parsley, finely-chopped

½ bunch fennel, coarsely-chopped

½ tbsp fennel seeds, cracked

1 tbsp paste of sun-dried tomato

1 tomato, grated

Zest from 1 lemon

4 tbsps ouzo

Salt

Pepper

Olive oil for frying

INSTRUCTIONS:

For the chickpea patties:

Soak the chickpeas in water for 12 hours.

Strain and keep the water.

Chop the chickpeas coarsely in a food processor and put them in a bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Mix until combined, while at the same time gradually adding water from the soaked chickpeas (about 350g of water in total), until the mixture becomes very thick and porridge-like.

Heat the olive oil in a pan.

Using a spoon, put a few chickpea patties into the frying pan at a time, frying them on both sides for a few minutes, until they brown.

Remove the patties from the pan and place them on kitchen paper towels for the excess oil to drain.

NOTE:

Serve with fennel leaves, and, if desired, with a creamy cheese like Samian “armogalo,” or yoghurt.

The oil must be hot for frying.

Aniseeds can be substituted for fennel seeds.

Aubergines with Cheese Mackerel with Glykadia (Vinegar) and Samian Muscat Wine