Les Niçois Black Pepper Puffed Chickpea Crisps 100g

The first pleasure is the crunch: light, puffed and quickly gone, leaving the warmth of black pepper behind. Chickpea flour gives the bite an earthy savouriness, while the pepper keeps the finish lively. There is enough seasoning to make these interesting on their own, with a crisp texture that invites another small handful.

Chickpea gives the crisp its savoury base, while black pepper gives this version its particular character. Take a small handful with the first drink and enjoy the change from airy crunch to a warm, lingering finish. That peppery warmth is an especially good companion to something soft and cool. A spoonful of thick yogurt, a slice of cucumber or a little fresh cheese lets you move between spice and freshness without losing the pleasure of the crisp.

These have a place beside the drinks, certainly, but they can also provide the final crunch on a simple lunch. Break a few over a tomato salad or add them to a chilled cucumber soup just before eating. The pepper does some of the seasoning for you, and the puffed bite makes a cheerful change from bread croutons.

• Yogurt, cucumber and mint: Stir grated cucumber and chopped mint into thick plain yogurt, then add a squeeze of lemon. A small scoop on each crisp gives you cool creaminess followed by a peppery finish. Serve immediately, while the contrast is at its best.
• Fresh cheese and radishes: Spread fresh cheese on a few crisps and add thinly sliced radish. The cheese softens the pepper, while the radish brings its own fresh bite. Finish with a little lemon zest rather than more pepper.
• A tomato salad with crunch: Dress ripe tomatoes and sliced spring onions with olive oil and wine vinegar. Break the crisps over the salad at the table, then eat straight away. Their seasoning and texture can turn a very simple plate into a lunch worth sitting down for.

In Nice, a fresh piece of socca often gets one final gesture before it is eaten: a generous seasoning of black pepper. The thin chickpea galette comes out of a very hot oven, is cut into pieces and is served quickly, while its edges are crisp and its centre still tender. Pepper belongs to that pleasure as naturally as the first hungry bite.

Les Niçois takes inspiration from socca for these chickpea crisps and gives the pepper a leading role. The format is different, but the combination makes immediate sense: chickpea’s gentle earthiness, a crisp bite and that familiar peppery finish. Tonton Marco’s name appears on this recipe, fitting a collection with plenty of personality. Have a cool drink within reach and let the pepper do its work.

Store at room temperature in a dry place, away from light. Keep the pack closed between servings and follow the best-before date on the packaging.