Palermo's Panelle Recipe

"Panelle"...once you have tasted this simple peasant's dish, Panelle will be love in three syllables. It is simply thick slices of fried chick pea polenta served on a roll. Sounds real basic, doesn't it? Beguiling I'd say. The best place in Palermo for this can be found at Friggitoria in Piazza Mondello and the other is called Rosolino in Sferracavallo. Anyway you can easily find many a panelle stall with round rolls lined on the counter, all over Palermo.

Here is the recipe:
In a 1 qt. pan dissolve half a pound chickpea flour with half quart of water. Add salt, pepper and chopped parsley. When all the flour is dissolved and there are no lumps, put the pan over a moderate heat and keep stirring 'til you get a thick paste. Much like polenta. Take care not to let it stick to the bottom, dear student. Put it into a cold tray rubbed with olive oil and spread it in order to make half inch thick layer. Put in the refrigerator. When it is cold, cut it in rectangular pieces about 3" x 4" inches and deep fry them in hot vegetable oil.

Normally they are eaten in a Kaiser or cibatta roll. Very yummy. If you are looking for the authentic roll for this, in New York you have to go in Brooklyn to find the right bakery - Villabate bakery in Bensonhurst for example. You may try Sullivan bakery in Manhattan.

I had this first in the Palazzo Conte Federico. What a place and what a meal.