Arabian nuggets -a pointilist appetiser

Its been a wild, wet and windy week here in the Algarve.To bring a more cheerful light to these dark gloomy days I imagined Seurat, easel propped before him, brush poised in hand looking out over fields of lavender,inspired to re-create the many shades of purple he finds before him.What am I like? Seurat never actually painted lavender fields as far as I know but I found a modern equivalent-a photographer behind his/her tripod (can´t see for the hood) sorry who ever you are.Well this was the inspiration and another excuse for an experiment to create a nouveau stippled nibble to accompany a perky ´peritif. Que Seurat Seurat.

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From ruby rhizomes comes the tangy purple powder that is sumac.In Arab cuisine, they use it as a garnish on meze dishes such as hummus.I was grabbed by an impulse that said take cooked chickpeas (ever popular in Portugal) and roast them in some olive oil, lemon juice, Flor de sal and dust them (you´ve guessed )with my new favourite fruity garnish - sumac.Who knows, if Seurat had come up with this idea "Saturday afternoon on La grande Jatte" would never have been the same.

Sumac roasted chick peas
The variations for these roasted chickpeas are endless. Roast them with Ras-al -hanout spices, paprika (cayenne) and garlic,fennel seeds and muscavado sugar? Create your own flavour combinations but if you like tart my favoured flavour  sumac is worth a shot.Its just so Dench.

2 15-oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained well 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

2 teaspoons sumac 

1 teaspoon Flor de sal

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Arrange the drained chickpeas in one layer on a paper towel and lay another on top to cover them. Roll the towel back and forth with the palm of your hand to make sure it absorbs as much of the moisture of the chickpeas as possible.

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, sumac and salt in a medium bowl and add the chickpeas. Toss well to coat and transfer the chickpeas to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Arrange in single layer and roast for about one hour, making sure to stir the chickpeas 3-4 times while roasting.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet set on a wire rack. The chickpeas will continue to crisp as they cool. Transfer to serving bowl or in an airtight container (will keep for up to 2 days).