Sicilians and others are not crazy about Palermo panelle : the original step-by-step recipe that you find below allows you to obtain them at home (not without effort, as we will explain shortly) but with enormous satisfaction, especially for the palate.
Who has never tasted bread and panelle ? Sicilian street food among the most appreciated together with arancini , it is a recipe from poor cuisine - after all the original panelle are made with chickpea flour and little else - but rich in history, tradition and calories (but this is another speech).
Here are the ingredients , the procedure and some tips on how to cut, fry and preserve Palermo panelle.
Sicilian panelle, the step-by-step recipe
As anticipated, you only need two ingredients to prepare panelle at home: water and chickpea flour. And, of course, elbow grease. Here's how to proceed for guaranteed success.
Ingredients of Palermo panelle
- 350 g of flour
- Approximately 1 liter of water
- salt and pepper
- peanut oil for frying
The panelle recipe step by step
Pour the chickpea flour into a fairly large bowl. Add the cold water little by little and continue mixing with an electric whisk to avoid the formation of lumps. Now season with salt and pepper and transfer to a thick-bottomed pan. Here comes the hard work : you have to continue mixing with a whisk, avoiding the formation of lumps, for about 15 minutes, without ever stopping. (This is why some prefer to make them with the Thermomix recipe ). As soon as the mixture starts to detach from the walls you can turn off the flame. At this point you must transfer it to a surface, preferably marble (moistened) or in any case smooth, such as a common baking tray . Spread it well to obtain a thin and uniform layer and leave it to cool completely until it solidifies.
Once cold, cut it into 10x5 cm rectangles . This is the version for those with particular patience. For those who prefer an easy life, we recommend using a plum cake mold , as we explain below.
How to cut Palermo panelle
Cutting the panelle is an operation that must be done with attention and care as they should all be the same and thin to ensure uniform cooking. To do this you can use one of the following methods, more or less orthodox.
Tool for cutting panels
What is the panel cutting tool ? It is a tool equipped with a wooden handle, a steel wire and a rotating cylinder. Useful but not essential, also because obtaining regular panels is also possible using one of the methods found below.
Molds for Sicilian panelle
The same consideration applies to panel molds . They may be useful but not essential. There are some that look like a pan with attached recesses into which to pour and level the panels (they have both round and rectangular shapes). Then there is also the more traditional wooden mold for panelle , which must first be oiled.
Bottled panelle
There are also those who prepare panelle in bottles , that is, pouring the mixture into a plastic bottle (moistened with cold water) and cutting it in half, waiting for everything to solidify, it will take about 5 hours. Dispassionate advice? Let them rest overnight, they will be more "manageable to fry".
Panelle in the plumcake mold
As anticipated, the mixture, once ready and still hot, can be poured into a plum cake mold in which it should rest until completely cooled. Once compact, just cut it into slices of the same thickness (½ cm), which will come out perfectly equal on their own, and without any effort.
Spreading on the bottom of the dishes
The oldest method deserves a mention, the one used by grandmothers. Not having the classic molds available and for the "necessity virtue" series, they used to spread the mixture on the bottom of freshly moistened plates . After having leveled it well it could be removed and fried.
How to fry panelle
To fry the panelle, just pour plenty of olive oil or peanut oil into a pan and wait for it to reach temperature. It is essential for dry and golden panelle to be very thin: in fact, upon contact with boiling oil, their surface creates a sort of casing that prevents the oil from entering inside.
Once hot, immerse the panelle and fry them until golden brown, turning them once. Drain them on a plate with a slotted spoon and pat them dry with a sheet of absorbent kitchen paper to absorb excess grease.
Why do the panels break?
Why do panelle fall apart during cooking ? Certainly due to the wrong consistency of the dough. It may happen that it is too soft causing it to disintegrate. To prevent the panelle from breaking, therefore, be careful not to ruin the entire work: the dough must be dense and sticky.
Baked Sicilian panelle
We shouldn't even mention the oven when talking about panelle: it would be disrespectful to choose a cooking method other than frying. But if you really want to try, the baked panelle should be cooked at 180°C for about 15 minutes. Of course, the result will be lighter, but also less tasty: we warned you.
Sicilian panelle, how to preserve them
Raw Sicilian panelle can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days covered with cling film. Alternatively they can also be frozen. Before frying them, however, let them thaw at room temperature to prevent the ice from compromising cooking.
