Syrian Za'atar Chickpea Zulu Time Pizza Topping from Flight Deck Brewing

If you are able to experience Flight Deck Brewing in Brunswick, Maine - the entire team at SKORDO highly recommends it! They have refreshing in-house made beers on draft, have been awarded best brewery multiple times by many different "Best Of" awards around the state, and are home of the redeveloped Naval Air Base. From September 14, 2023 - October 14th, 2023 you can experience "Zulu Time', a wood fired pizza that features chickpeas coated in SKORDO’s Syrian Za’atar spice blend, garlic, EVOO, fresh mozzarella, and then drizzled with a bright, tart, and creamy lemon tahini. A pizza made in Middle Eastern and Vegetarian flavor heaven!

While we can't give away Flight Deck's pizza recipe, we can give you the recipe to make these delicious chickpeas that top the "Zulu Time" pizza.

Ingredients:

• 2 15 oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 5 tbs Olive oil, divided 
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• 6 tbs SKORDO Syrian Za’atar spice blend, divided

Equipment:

• Baking sheet (half size)
• Paper towels
• Mixing bowl

Directions

Preheat oven to 450℉. Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with 2 tbs olive oil.

Line your mixing bowl with 2 layers of paper towels. Dump rinsed and drained chickpeas into the bowl and toss to dry thoroughly. The more moisture you remove, the crispier your final product will be.

Remove the paper towels from the bowl and discard. Add remaining 3 tbs olive oil to the chickpeas along with 3 tbs of the za’atar spice blend, a pinch of kosher salt, and a few healthy grinds of pepper. Toss to combine and coat chickpeas. 

Spread chickpeas into an even layer on the prepared baking sheet, and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and shake to move the chickpeas around, and return to the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the chickpeas are crisp and browned, but not completely dried out.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining 3 tbs of the za’atar spice blend and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool fully on the baking sheet.

Store in an airtight container lined with paper towel in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Add to salads and pasta, use as a pizza topping, or toss with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a bright and flavorful side dish. 

Visit Flight Deck in Brunswick, Maine or at www.flightdeckbrewing.com.