To make the topping

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat, then add in the sliced mushrooms. Once they are soft, sprinkle with the salt. It will seem like a lot of salt, but it will be balanced out by the beans.
2. Let the mushrooms cool, then combine with the cannellini beans and chopped basil. Place in the refrigerator to cool and allow the flavors to mingle for an hour to overnight.

To make your chickpea batter

1. Whisk together all of the chickpea cake ingredients. Cover and leave out on your counter a few hours to overnight to slightly thicken.
2. To cook your chickpea batter, preheat an empty nonstick skillet over medium heat. Drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil into the pan, and wait a minute or two more for the oil to warm. You’ll want the panisse to sizzle when it hits the pan.
3. Pour the batter into the preheated skillet. Immediately and continuously stir the batter with the whisk until thickened, (about 5 minutes), then switch to using a heat-resistant rubber spatula to stir continuously for a few minutes more. Once it starts pulling away cleanly from the pan stir for an additional 1-2 minutes more, then transfer the batter to a greased glass container. (I use an empty TofuXpress to get a nice square shape.)
4. Let it slightly cool, then cover it with plastic wrap so it touches the top to create a seal, then place it in the refrigerator to completely cool for about an hour or so until firm, or up to overnight.

To pan fry the panisse

1. Cut the cooled block in half, then slice each half into 1/2-inch thick pieces. It’s important that the slices are no thicker than that. Preheat an empty skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, then place 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan, then carefully add in the panisse slices. Saute each side for 3-5 minutes, or until golden but not browned.

You can also bake panisse instead of pan frying it. To bake it, lightly oil a baking sheet and bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Flip the pieces over, then bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges.

To serve the panisse bruschetta, let the chickpea cakes cool off, then spoon the desired amount of topping over them. Serve immediately.