Chick Peas Fritters

(“Panelle”)

When I lived in Palermo or perhaps.... since the beginning of time, the panellari (the makers and sellers of panelli) were a local institution.

In my hometown this trade is patronized almost by everyone, by the rich and the poor, by the college professor to the handyman.
In the old days, the panellari were located only within the city limits of Palermo, they were situated in strategic sites in every neighborhood and ready to do business early in the morning.

The shop consisted of a small storefront, with a window on the street and inside there was enough room for a big cauldron with boiling oil, a counter to make the panelleand a perforated aluminum pan to hold and drain the excess oil from the panelle and to rest the ravaccine (the skimmers).

They made and sold panelle, potato croquettes, and rascature which were made of thick chickpea dough that had become too hard to make panelle.
In season they cooked "i fedde", fried sliced eggplants and quaglie(the quails), a small fried eggplant partially cut into lengthwise sticks, less than 1 inch thick, and held together by the uncut top of the eggplant. With a little imagination the fried quaglie, when they opened out, looked like quail’s feathers or a fan.

As you will realize from the recipe that follows the panelle are simple and easy to make.
The ingredients are chickpeas flour, salt and water.  But a snack made of fresh soft bread stuffed with panelle, can be a delightful breakfast or a delicious lunch, as it was the custom of every family in Palermo.

When I was going to elementary and high school, I brought pane e panelle from a stand parked near my school; it became my preferred snack for its taste and because of the reasonable price which coincided with my limited finances.

My family’s preferred two panelli stores: one located at La Vucciria and Giacomino located in Via Alloro. Panelli can be brought in shops located on every corner of the city.

Today the panelleare made all over Sicily and are served as an appetizer.
In the United States, the panelle were introduced around 1910 by the owner of La Focacceria on First Avenue in Manhattan, and in Brooklyn, around 1920, by Mr. Paul Benfante, who opened a shop on Degraw Street; a few years later he moved his shop to Union Street and Hicks Street.
When cooking at Joe’s of Avenue U, in Brooklyn, we prepared panelle, among other Sicilian specialties, and people from the five boroughs and nearby towns came to buy them. We produced them in large quantities and frequently sold out all we had prepared for the day.

 

To make 40 Panelle using the traditional moulds (or 12  Panelle using 7 ¼ inch dessert dishes):

• 1 lb. sifted chickpeas flour
• 1 quart + 1 ½ cups of water
• ½ teaspoon of salt

 

To make about 20 Panelle using the traditional moulds (or 6 Panelle using 7 ¼ inch dessert dishes):

• 1 cup of chick peas flour
• 1 ½  cups of water
• Pinch of salt

 

Preparation

The Cooking of the Chickpeas
In a 4 quart saucepan combine the water, chickpeas flour and salt.
Using a whisk, mix until it is smooth and without lumps.
Over a medium heat, bring to a boil, mixing continuously.
Lower the heat when mixture starts to bubble, stirring continuously and cooking it about 10 minutes, until you get a semi-solid and homogeneous mixture.  Do not leave pot unattended and stir continuously.
To enhance and give a different dimension to the taste of the panelle, add chopped parsley and/or black peppers before removing pan from the stove.

Making the Panelle
Remove pot from the heat and smear the mixture on the traditional moulds, made of wood rectangles 2 ½ inches by 4 inches by ¾ inch thick. When mixture has cooled, detach from the moulds. Moulds must be soaked in water overnight.
If you do not have the wooden moulds, pour mixture on top of a clean and wet marble or Formica countertop, spread it to less than a quarter of an inch thick and when it has cooled, cut into triangular or square shapes.
Dessert dishes (7 ¼ inch dishes) can be used by spreading the mixture and when the Panelle cool off, cut each piece into four.

The Frying
 Over a medium heat, pour ½ cup of oil in a 12 inch skillet, heat oil to 375 degrees and before it starts to smoke, cook the panelle as you would fry cutlets.
When it turns a golden color on one side, turn and cook the other side. Place panelle on paper towels to drain, serve hot.

 

The “Panelle Special”
 At our Focacceria, on Avenue U in Brooklyn, we served the Panelle special: a delicious sandwich made in a soft roll stuffed with Panelle, covered with ricotta and cheese and lightly toasted.