Panelle, Italian chickpea flour fritters

Panelle are Sicilian fritters made from chickpea flour and other ingredients, usually including water, salt, pepper, olive oil, and finely chopped parsley. They are a popular street food in Palermo and are often eaten between slices of bread or on a sesame roll, like a sandwich. Wikipedia

Type of scope : Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time : 3 mins
Total time : 18 mins
Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 230 g of chickpea flour

• 700 ml of cold water

• salt and pepper

• oil for frying

Process

1. In a nonstick saucepan mix water, flour and a pinch of salt , helping with a whisk ; cook the resulting liquid over medium high heat , stirring constantly with a whisk constantly , until the liquid thickens like a polenta.

2. Reduce the heat , if necessary, because the cream does not burn , and continue to mix until the dough comes away from the edges of the pan , or at least seems really compact .

3. Spread the polenta appetizer with chickpeas on more plates ( these doses it’ll take approximately 4 ), to obtain a layer thickness of about ½ cm , a cross between a crepe and a pancake .

4. Put the plates to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for a quarter of an hour when the dough of fritters is very cold , it should be very simple , cut into slices and remove the plates .

5. Meanwhile , heat an inch of oil in a deep frying pan but capacious : helping with a cooking thermometer , place the fritters to fry when the oil has reached a temperature of 180 degrees and keep it as constant as possible the flame .

6. Fry the fritters – a few at a time, so as not to lower the temperature of the frying – about 3 minutes, turning gently to make them well- browned .

7. Drain the fritters with a slotted spoon and let them dry a few minutes on paper towels , then serve hot with salt and pepper in abundance.