Panelle
Vegan Simplicity, Authentically Sicilian

This Sicilian street food is what some folks call “accidentally” vegan. With minimal ingredients–chickpea flour, parsley and water fried in oil–I thought I’d try my hand at making them for a panino rather than seek out an eatery to fulfill my hankering. Here is the recipe I followed:

300 grams chickpea flour

800 grams water

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon of salt

1.) In a medium saucepan, combine chickpea flour and salt.

2.) Turn on the heat and gradually add the water, whisking vigorously like a good Sicilian.

3.) Once all water has been added and mixture resembles a thick polenta, add the parsley and mix well. If it is to thick, add a bit more water.

4.) Line the counter with wax paper and transfer the chickpea mixture onto it to cool, spreading it thinly or to your preference. Your panelle will should be thin. This way you get two crispy sides with a nice small bit of creaminess between ’em.

5) Let the mixture cool for 20 minutes. Meantime, preheat the oven to 350 F.

6.) After mixture has cooled, cover with another sheet of wax paper and use a rolling pin to even out the surface.

7.) Then cut your panelle. Use a biscuit cutter or a pizza cutter. I used a circular cutter, which isn’t very traditional.

8.) Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10-15 minutes.

9.) Remove from the oven and, finally, finish them by pan frying in oil. Once they are out of the oil, sprinkle with salt.

10.) Optional: Assemble your panino. I toasted bread, doused the top of it with lemon juice.. and added vegan mayo to the bottom. But I have a bunch more to fiddle around with differently… like the three I just ate cold from my storage container.

Mangia!