Panelle

Name: Panelle
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Siciliana
Ingredients: 250 g chickpea flour; 750 ml Water; 6 g Fine sea salt; 2 g Black pepper; 15 g flat-leaf parsley; 500 ml sunflower oil; 4 sesame bread rolls; 2 lemons

Crisp, golden Sicilian chickpea fritters seasoned with fresh flat-leaf parsley, served piping hot in soft sesame rolls with fresh lemon.

🇮🇹Italy· Sicily

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 45 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 490 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

250 g chickpea flour — sifted
750 ml Water — cold
6 g Fine sea salt — plus extra to finish
2 g Black pepper — freshly cracked
15 g flat-leaf parsley — finely chopped
500 ml sunflower oil — for frying
4 sesame bread rolls — mafalde or soft round rolls, halved
2 lemons — cut into wedges

Equipment

•Heavy-bottomed saucepan
•Balloon whisk
•Baking sheet or flat ceramic plates
•Deep frying pan
•Slotted spoon

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 490 kcal
fat: 18 g
carbs: 68 g
fibre: 8 g
protein: 16 g
calories: 490 kcal

Instructions

1
Whisk the chickpea flour and cold water together in a heavy saucepan until smooth and lump-free.
2
Place the pan over medium-low heat and stir constantly with a whisk to prevent sticking.
3
Cook until the paste becomes glossy, thick, and pulls away cleanly from the pan sides.
4
Stir the fine sea salt, black pepper, and chopped flat-leaf parsley thoroughly into the hot paste.
5
Spread the paste immediately onto flat, lightly oiled ceramic plates to a three millimetre thickness.
6
Leave the chickpea paste to cool completely for thirty minutes until firm to the touch.
7
Cut the set paste into neat rectangles or traditional diamond shapes using a sharp knife.
8
Heat the frying oil in a deep pan to one hundred and eighty degrees Celsius.
9
Fry the cut slices in small batches for three minutes until crisp and lightly golden.
10
Lift the panelle onto kitchen paper to drain and dust immediately with a pinch of salt.
11
Pack several hot fritters into each split sesame roll and serve immediately with fresh lemon wedges.

Chef's tips

Whisk vigorously when the mixture begins to thicken to keep it silky and prevent scorching at the base. Spread the hot paste as quickly and thinly as possible before it begins to set. Make sure the frying oil is sufficiently hot so the fritters crisp instantly without absorbing excess oil.

Ingredient substitutions

sesame bread rolls → soft crusty rolls or gluten-free buns if avoiding wheat
sunflower oil → mild light olive oil or peanut oil for frying

Storage

Cooked panelle must be eaten immediately; you can store the uncut set paste chilled in an airtight container for up to two days before frying.

Reheating

Reheating fried panelle in an oven restores some warmth but softens the texture; frying fresh from chilled paste is strongly recommended.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Adding hot water initially, which creates stubborn flour lumps that will not dissolve
•Spreading the paste too thickly, resulting in a soggy interior rather than a crisp fritter
•Frying at low oil temperatures, making the panelle greasy and fragile

Serving suggestions

Stuff into warm mafalde rolls with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juiceServe alongside potato cazzilli (croquettes) as part of a classic Palermitano street platterEnjoy hot as finger food sprinkled with sea salt and cracked black pepper