Sandwich Hommos w Taqliya

This sandwich belongs to the street, to the hour when hunger is louder than manners and a cart can feed you better than a chair. Chickpeas go in soft and saucy, the taqliya goes in hot from the pan, and the bread catches what would otherwise run down your wrist. You eat it standing if you must. It still counts as a table, if someone made room for you.

Taqliya means the quick fried offal here, liver, heart, kidney if your butcher is honest and the pieces are fresh. The rule is not to overcook it. Offal turns tough when it waits too long in the pan, so the chickpeas are already tender before the meat touches the heat. That is the whole why of the dish: cook the chickpeas slow enough to become generous, cook the taqliya fast enough to stay alive under the teeth.

This is budget food, yes, but budget food has its pride. Cumin must smell awake, paprika should still have color, and the bread must be sturdy enough to hold the sauce. Make four sandwiches and expect a fifth hand. Une table, c'est une porte qu'on laisse ouverte, even when the table is a cart in the medina.