Panissa Ligure

Name: Panissa Ligure
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Ligure
Ingredients: 300 g chickpea flour; 900 ml Water; 8 g Fine sea salt; 15 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 2 g Ground black pepper; 500 ml peanut oil; 3 g flaky sea salt; 4 pieces Lemon wedges

Panissa Ligure is a savoury Genoese chickpea flour polenta, cooled until firm, cut into batons, and deep-fried until crisp and golden.

🇮🇹Italy· Liguria

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 60 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 390 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

300 g chickpea flour — sifted to remove lumps
900 ml Water — cold
8 g Fine sea salt — around one level teaspoon
15 ml Extra virgin olive oil — one tablespoon, for the paste
2 g Ground black pepper — freshly cracked
500 ml peanut oil — for deep-frying
3 g flaky sea salt — to finish
4 pieces Lemon wedges — to serve

Equipment

•Heavy-based saucepan
•Wire whisk
•Wooden spoon
•Rectangular dish or baking tin
•Deep frying pan
•Slotted spoon

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 390 kcal
fat: 18 g
carbs: 44 g
fibre: 8 g
protein: 16 g
calories: 390 kcal

Instructions

1
Sift the chickpea flour into a heavy-based saucepan to eliminate any clumps.
2
Gradually pour in the cold water while whisking continuously to form a smooth, lump-free liquid.
3
Whisk in the fine sea salt and extra virgin olive oil.
4
Place the pan over low heat and bring slowly to a simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
5
Cook for thirty to thirty-five minutes, stirring continuously, until the paste thickens and pulls away from the pan sides.
6
Lightly oil a shallow rectangular dish or loaf tin.
7
Pour the hot chickpea paste into the prepared dish and smooth the top evenly with an oiled spatula.
8
Allow to cool completely to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least two hours until fully set and firm.
9
Turn the set paste onto a chopping board and slice into finger-thick batons or small triangles.
10
Heat the frying oil in a deep skillet to 180 degrees C.
11
Fry the batons in small batches for four to five minutes until crisp, lightly golden, and blistered.
12
Transfer with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper, sprinkle with flaky salt, and serve immediately.

Chef's tips

Stir the paste constantly from the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching as it thickens. Ensure the mixture is completely cold and firmly set before slicing so the batons hold their shape in hot oil. Fry in small batches to keep the oil temperature steady and achieve a crisp crust.

Ingredient substitutions

peanut oil → sunflower oil or light olive oil for frying
fried preparation → served cold, sliced thinly and dressed with spring onions, extra virgin olive oil, and lemon juice (panissa all'agro)

Storage

Store the uncut set paste wrapped in clingfilm in the fridge for up to three days before frying.

Reheating

Panissa is best eaten freshly fried, but leftover fried batons can be recrisped in a hot oven at 200 degrees C for six minutes.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Rushing the cooking time, which leaves the chickpea flour tasting raw and chalky.
•Not stirring vigorously, leading to lumps or burned patches on the pan base.
•Slicing the paste before it is fully chilled and set, causing it to disintegrate in the hot oil.
•Crowding the frying pan, which drops the oil temperature and makes the batons greasy.

Serving suggestions

Serve hot wrapped in paper cones (scartocci) as authentic Genoese street food.Pair with a glass of crisp Ligurian Vermentino or Pigato wine.Offer alongside focaccia and Ligurian green olives as part of an aperitivo spread.