Picadillos at Piqueo's

Piqueos, the new Peruvian restaurant in Bernal Heights and sister restaurant to Mochica, is my new favorite spot. I was there last night (again) and had (again) my new favorite snack of all time, their picadillos. The biggest surprise is that they bring a bowl of the little fried chickpea mix to every table—free, like a Mexican restaurant doles out chips. But I would pay for it if chef Carlos Altamirano made me. In fact, I order it as an entree and call it dinner. Here’s the recipe, straight from the source. Try it with white wine, but really try it with a cold, light beer.

Picadillos
Serves 6 (or one, if you’re me)

2 cups of milk
1/2 cup flour
1 small onion, chopped
1 small Roma tomato, chopped
5 sprigs cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
corn oil for frying
2 cups of garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
2 tablespoons fresh Cotija cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper to taste

Put the garbanzo beans in a bowl with milk and flour. Let soak for 10 minutes. In a bowl, combine the onion, tomato, cilantro and olive oil.

Place a heavy-bottomed skillet filled with 1-inch of corn oil over high heat until the oil is shimmering and ready for frying. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garbanzo beans from the milk and flour mixture. Carefully place in the oil and fry until golden brown. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel. Add the garbanzo beans to the salsa and toss with the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.