Panelle Palermitane

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan
• •Wooden spoon for constant stirring
• •Marble slab, wooden board, or sheet pan for spreading
• •Deep skillet or shallow frying pan
• •Spider or slotted spoon for frying

Instructions

1. 1

   Combine flour and water

   Pour the cold water into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Sift the chickpea flour through a fine-mesh strainer directly into the water, whisking constantly as you add it. This prevents lumps. The mixture should be completely smooth before you turn on the heat. Add the salt and whisk once more.

2. 2

   Cook the batter

   Set the pan over medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, reaching into the corners where the batter likes to stick. After about 15 minutes, the mixture will thicken dramatically and begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. It should have the consistency of thick polenta. When a spoon drawn through it leaves a clean trail that does not immediately fill back in, it is ready.

   Do not stop stirring. The batter will scorch on the bottom if left unattended for even a minute. Your arm may tire. This is how you know you are working.
3. 3

   Add the parsley

   Remove the pan from heat. Stir in the chopped parsley and a generous grinding of black pepper. The parsley should be evenly distributed throughout. Work quickly; the batter sets as it cools.

4. 4

   Spread the batter thin

   Brush a large marble slab, wooden board, or sheet pan with olive oil. Turn the hot batter onto the surface. Using an oiled spatula or the back of a wet spoon, spread it into a thin, even layer, no more than 3 millimeters thick. Thinner is better. Street vendors in Palermo spread theirs so thin you can nearly see through them. Let it cool completely at room temperature, at least two hours.

   If the batter is too thick, your panelle will be dense and doughy in the center. The thinness is everything. It creates the contrast between crisp exterior and creamy interior.
5. 5

   Cut into shapes

   When the batter has set firm, cut it into rectangles approximately 8 centimeters by 5 centimeters. Traditionally they are cut into rough rectangles or triangles; precision is not the point. The edges may be uneven. This is poor food, and it should look like it.

6. 6

   Fry until golden

   Pour vegetable oil into a deep skillet to a depth of about 2 centimeters. Heat until a small piece of batter sizzles immediately when dropped in, about 180°C (350°F). Fry the panelle in batches, without crowding, until deeply golden and crisp on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. They should puff slightly and develop blisters. Drain on paper towels.

7. 7

   Serve immediately

   Sprinkle with a little more salt while still hot. Serve immediately with lemon wedges alongside. The lemon is not optional. The acid cuts the richness and makes you want another. In Palermo, these would be stuffed into a soft sesame roll. At home, they are perfect on their own, eaten standing in the kitchen while they are still too hot to hold.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out Italian chickpea flour, labeled farina di ceci. The flour sold for Indian cooking is sometimes roasted, which changes the flavor. You want raw, finely ground chickpea flour.
• •Marble is the traditional surface for spreading the batter because it cools quickly and releases cleanly. A sheet pan brushed with oil works adequately.
• •The batter can be spread, cooled, and refrigerated overnight. Cut and fry the next day. The texture is unchanged.
• •Do not attempt to fry too many at once. Crowding drops the oil temperature and produces soggy, greasy panelle instead of crisp ones.

Advance Preparation

• •The batter must be spread and cooled completely before frying, at least 2 hours at room temperature.
• •Once set, the unfried panelle can be covered and refrigerated for up to two days. Bring to room temperature before frying.
• •Fried panelle cannot be held. They must be served immediately. There is no way around this.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 85g)