Italian cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Panelle Palermitane

Palermo-style chickpea flour fritters, fried golden brown and eaten hot with lemon and pepper.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 250 g chickpea flour
• 750 ml water
• 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley
• 1 l frying oil
• 2 lemons
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. In a pot, whisk the chickpea flour with the cold water and salt until completely free of lumps – starting cold is essential, otherwise it will clump later.
2. Set the pot over medium heat and cook the mixture for 12–15 min., stirring constantly, until very thick and pulling away from the sides of the pot.
3. Stir in the finely chopped parsley and the pepper, then immediately spread the mixture with the olive oil onto an oiled sheet and smooth it out about 4 mm thin.
4. Let the sheet cool completely and firm up for 20 min., then cut into rectangles of about 6 × 8 cm.
5. Heat the frying oil in a tall pot to 180°C and fry the panelle in batches for 2–3 min. until golden brown and bubbling.
6. Drain on kitchen paper, season generously with salt and pepper, and serve immediately hot with lemon wedges.