Sicilian Panelle

Panelle

recipe @ bottom, but you may enjoy my story first

Panelle stands are as popular in Sicily as, hot dog stands, in the US. You can quickly grab a Panini and Panelle as you are walking down the street and hunger pain attacks. But sometimes you will grab a sandwich with panelle just because that’s what you crave. Panelle are an acquired taste, just like japanese sushi is an acquired taste or the middle eastern falafel . If you like chick peas and falafel and if you are a vegetarian, you will surely like these. Like many other dishes, this was a dish, my husband developed a taste for. He did not so much like it on a bun, but found it very tasty with a salad, for example.

I mentioned in one of my past posts that one of my goals in life has been to introduce my husband to the pleasures of food. When I met him he had just about 5 to 10 dishes that were tried and successful with him, he repeated the same ones over and over again, without giving any thought to how many more wonderful creations existed, in the world he had not yet explored. I, on the other hand had been exposed to different cultures and culinary experiences and so it was unlikely that I would take a step back to limiting my palate to just a few dishes, and since I was the one controlling the kitchen I made it my goal to help my husband like foods, that before marriage, he would never have tried.

I soon realized that, not every ingredient I used,  would make my husband jump for joy. It was not because he had never tried it before, but also because he had not developed a taste for it. So I learned to make the particular ingredient in different ways with different presentations, until my husband found the one that he truly enjoyed. Today, after 30 years of marriage we can both agree that I have succeeded in helping him have an open mind about new dishes. It has opened up a great new world of food that he enjoys so much. Food is really one of the best pleasures in life. It would be terrible to deny ourselves the variety it offers!

Chick pea flour can be found at Italian, Middle Eastern, Indian, some local supermarkets and Health Food stores.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups chickpea flour
3 cups water
1/4 tsp sea salt or to taste
1/4 cup fresh italian parsley finely chopped (optional)
Frying oil

Directions

Find yourself  a 4 inch in diameter can with smooth sides, (coffee can is ideal, it comes with a plastic lid that you will make use of)
Open can on both sides,( you may want to use a smooth edge can opener for this, so as not to have sharp edges)
Slightly oil the inside of the can place the lid on one side, and set aside.
Pour the cold water into a heavy gauge stainless steel pot and add the flour slowly, whisk constantly to avoid lumps.
Add the salt and parsley.
Cook on medium-low heat , stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the side of the pan.
Pour the mixture into the can, cover with aluminum foil and let it cool in the fridge for several hours, mixture should be dense when cooled
When completely cool, push the mixture out no more than 1/4 inch, using the can as a guide, with a sharp knife cut the round shape.
Deep fry until golden brown.
Drain the fried panelle on paper towels.
Continue to do this until all the mixture is cut into rounds, or cut just enough to make the amount you need. The rest can be stored in the fridge for up to a couple of days.

Serving Suggestions

Stuff your favorite Panini Bread with several panelle, while they are hot.
Serve them plain with a salad on the side
Drizzle a little tomato sauce on it and a sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Serve them as an appetizer, cut into small triangles stacked together with a toothpick through it
Use them instead of croutons, cut them into cubes and fry them, then put them in salads

More panelle recipes to come, keep posted

PRINTABLE RECIPE