The Falafel Fan
A petite golden herb-falafel on a dot of whipped lemon tahini, crowned with a pink pickled shallot curl — your favorite, dressed for the evening
Greg Hitchen eats no meat and loves falafel. His go-to drink is sparkling mineral water.
Why this bite? He loves falafel and eats no meat. This is recognition, not metaphor.
The Story
Before the acquisitions, the solar shows and the spreadsheets, there is the person ordering lunch. Greg loves falafel. So this tribute begins with something he actually likes, not an executive cliché: a petite chickpea falafel with a green heart of parsley and coriander and a shattering golden crust, set on a dot of silken lemon tahini and crowned with a curl of pink pickled shallot. One bite, two chews — the same size as every other piece on his tray. You can build a global company and still know exactly what you want on your plate.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
- 1/4 cup parsley
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1 tbsp finely diced onion
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp chickpea flour
- Salt
- Oil for frying
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 small shallot, sliced into fine rings
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- Cold water to whip
Preparation
- 1.Drain soaked chickpeas; do not use cooked or canned chickpeas. Pulse with herbs, garlic, onion, cumin and salt to a fine coarse crumb.
- 2.Mix in chickpea flour and chill 30 minutes. Shape 12 petite rounds, no more than 3/4 inch across and 1/2 inch tall; chill until firm.
- 3.Fry in oil at 175°C until golden and cooked through, about 2–3 minutes; drain.
- 4.Quick-pickle shallot in vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt for 15 minutes; drain and cut into tiny curls. Whisk tahini with lemon and cold water added drop by drop until thick, pale and spoonable. Set each falafel on a small dot of tahini, then crown with one shallot curl, a few sesame seeds and a tiny parsley tip. The finished piece must stay under 1 inch in every direction — one bite, two chews.
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