Parmesan Crisps
There won't be a crumb left.
by Erin Henderson
My sister called me saying she would be by in a few hours. She had something to pick up in my neighbourhood and said she might as well join me for a rosé and snack on the lanai.
You may also like: How Rosé is Made
I see my sister easily once a week, often more, so this impromptu visit wasn’t anything to stand on ceremony over, but it’s anathema to me to not have something delicious to welcome people, no matter how familiar they may be.
With rosé chilling in the fridge (I always, always have at least one bottle of white, rosé or sparkling lying in wait in the fridge. Usually I have all three.) My thoughts turned to snacks.
Past Erin was smart enough a few months ago to make extra gougère and freeze the unbaked cheese puffs for Future Erin, so Present Erin took full advantage of this strategic planning and set the oven to 450°F.
You may also like: Make-Ahead Gougère
But, I still needed an extra little nosh, something super quick. I settled on Parmesan crisps. These are reminiscent of the 90’s when all the fancy chefs were serving caesar salads in parmesan bowls or topping some kind of pasta with a parm toile.
Maybe I’m still thinking about Love Story, or perhaps Rivals has infiltrated my consciousness, but I think parm crisps bring sexy back.
The best part is that these are pretty forgiving, so you can eyeball everything, and swap out flavours to your preference – thyme in stead of rosemary, add red chilli flakes for spice etc – or leave them plain.
Parmesan Crisps
I can't believe these fell out of my repetoire for so many years. I'm not sure what reminded me of them again, but I'm delighted I've brought them back into the fold. So are my guests. There's never a crumb left.
Makes: about a dozen, cookie-sized parm medallions
Chef level: easy
Ingredients:
- 2oz good quality parmesan
- 1 Tbsp flour
- Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper
- Sprinkle smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
How to Make It:
- Set the oven to 350°F
- Grate the parmesan (I put mine in my Nutribullet and give it a quick blast).
- Toss the cheese with a sprinkle of flour and the herbs and spices.
- Pile the cheese mixture into flattened circles about 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake for about 10 minutes, until melted and deeply golden.
- Allow the parm crisps to cool for about 10 minutes on the baking tray before using a metal spatula to move them to a wire rack to crisp.
Wine Pairing:
I think crisp, dry Champagne, or traditional method sparkling wine is the only way to go here. The bright energy of the bubbly washes away the rich fat of the parm crisps, while the salty cheese brings out the fruit in the fizz. Plus, it's a party.
