When I went to the Chilean cuisine class each seat had a plate with a piece of baguette and merquén oil, I found it so good that I decided to dust off my merquén at home and do something with it. I had read several times to make toasted chickpeas, let them cool, and serve for snacks like salted peanuts, but healthier. This recipe is a blend of all those things if you do not add the mushrooms you can serve it as an appetizer or chickpeas with mushrooms can be served on a crostini or as an accompaniment to a protein, here we ate it with salmon. I have also served it with mashed potatoes or on top of a pizza.
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Mushrooms with Chickpeas and Merken
for 2 people
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon merkén
- 6 scallions chopped into thin slices
- 1 can of chickpeas drained and washed with water, drain or a cup of cooked chickpeas
- 250 grams of mushrooms (½ pound)
- salt
- parsley to serve (optional)
Preparation:
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat, for about 2 minutes, add the Merkén and cook for 1 minute, add the scallions and stir.
- Add the chickpeas and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until starting to brown. Add mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add salt and taste, and adjust the seasoning. Serve sprinkled with parsley if you want.
Note: Merkén is like the Chile powder, a mix of species, made by the Mapuche in Chile with dry smoked chili, cumin, and salt, has a very distinctive flavor, and is like the Mapuche chili powder.
