← Nouns Cooking · Italian

Ingredients

• 250 g chickpea (gram) flour
• 750 ml cold water
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 tbsp Parsley, finely chopped
• 500 ml vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 Lemon, cut into wedges
• 6 soft sesame rolls, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Whisk the chickpea flour into the cold water in a saucepan, a little at a time, until completely smooth. Add the salt.
2. Set over medium-low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon. After 10–15 min it will thicken into a heavy paste that pulls away from the sides of the pan.
3. Stir in the parsley, then spread the mixture quickly on an oiled tray or board to about 5 mm thick, smoothing it with a wet spatula. Leave to cool and set for 1 hour.
4. Cut into 6 cm squares or rectangles.
5. Heat 1 cm of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the panelle in batches for 2–3 min per side until puffed, golden and crisp.
6. Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with salt and serve hot with lemon wedges, or stuffed into a soft roll as they do in Palermo.

Tips

• Work fast when spreading the paste; it sets within minutes.
• The rolls are optional; without them the snack is gluten-free.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

GialloZafferano Pasta Grammar Cooking with Manuela