Falafel pressed flat under a pita
The mix goes onto the bread, then the whole thing goes face down in the pan. All crust, no fryer.
At a Glance
Story
A falafel ball is mostly middle. Flatten the same mix to the thickness of a coin and almost all of it is touching the pan, so you trade interior for crust, which is the part anyone actually wants. It also means a slick of oil does the job that a deep pot of it used to, and the bread on top is not a garnish. It holds the layer flat and stops the edges curling away from the heat.
Ingredients
- 4 oz boxed falafel mix
- 2 pocketless pitas or flatbreads
- 2 carrotspeeled, halved crosswise and quartered lengthwise
- 4 oz grape tomatoeshalved
- 1 Persian cucumberhalved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 1 shallothalved and thinly sliced
- 1 bunch parsleyleaves and stems roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp garlic-tahini sauce
- ¼ cup labneh
- 1 lemonquartered
- olive oilsalt, pepper
Method
The falafel never leaves the bread, so nothing has to be rolled, chilled or fished out of hot oil. What you are really making is a very good crust with a sandwich already attached.
- Oven to 450F. Line a sheet pan, then carrots on it with olive oil, salt and pepper, spread out rather than heaped. 16 to 20 minutes, until they are browned and give easily when you prod one.
- Meanwhile, tip the dry mix into a bowl, pour over ½ cup water, and then leave it completely alone for 10 minutes while it drinks.
- Tomatoes, cucumber, shallot and parsley in a bowl with the vinegar, salt and pepper. Leave them to sit and turn glassy, stirring once or twice.
- Loosen the garlic-tahini with the juice of two lemon wedges. Season it.
- Divide the rested mix between the pitas and spread it to the edges, leaving a thin border of bare bread so nothing scorches. Film of oil in a large nonstick pan over medium. When a pinch of mix spits the moment it lands, lay the pitas in falafel side down and lean on them, hard, with a fish slice. 3 to 5 minutes, until the underside is properly browned and holds together when you lift a corner. Salt them the second they come out.
- Top with the marinated vegetables and their liquid, the tahini sauce and spoonfuls of labneh. Carrots and the last lemon wedges alongside.
Medium heat, and resist turning it up. The layer is thin enough to cook through in the time the crust takes, which is the whole bargain, and a hot pan collects on that debt early.
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