Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Postcard from Carmel: Fried garbanzos with truffle salt at Mundaka

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Day one of my "girlfriend getaway" to California's central coast with fellow food bloggers Patti Londre (Worth the Whisk) and Dorothy Reinhold (Shockingly Delicious) and we're happy and well fed.

At last night's dinner at Mundaka in Carmel, these fried garbanzos with truffle salt were the surprise hit of the evening. Crisp on the outside, soft and melting on the inside, warm with just a hint of white truffle. Forget truffled popcorn - we ate the whole bowl of these truffled fried garbanzos and made embarrassing moaning noises the whole time. Not sure what the table next to us was thinking....

Chef Brandon Miller soaks dried garbanzo beans over night, simmers them until soft with a clove-studded onion and strips of lemon zest, then deep-fries them in hot peanut oil (375 degrees) and dusts with truffle salt. His favorite truffle salt is Fusion White Truffle Salt, which he buys across the street from the restaurant at Sur La Table. Miller keeps the garbanzos soaking in water until just before frying, which helps crisp the exterior of the beans without letting the oil penetrate too deeply. He hasn't tried canned garbanzo beans but thinks they would work fine (rinse thoroughly before frying).

Are you wondering whether these fried garbanzos might make an appearance at this year's Trufflepalooza? I'm already on it.

1 comment:

Sippity Sup said...

You are THE truffle girl! XOGREG

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