Panelle

Famous all over over the world, "panelle" are an absolutely typical dish of Palermo where, usually, are consumed in paper cone or in a sandwich and for this can be considered a classic example of Sicilian street food.

Simple and economic to prepare, needs, in fact, only chickpea flour for the dough and oil to frying. The only known variant concerns the form to be given to these pancakes: the classical rectangular or the more modern round.

In a pot with 1,5 liters of cold water pour a little bit a time the chickpea flour, salt and fresh ground black pepper. Mix everything very carefully to avoid lumps. When the flour is dissolved completely, place the pot on low heat, add the chopped fresh parsley and continue stirring so that the flour does not stick to the pot. Let cook until the cream has a thick consistency but still soft, about 15-20 minutes. Now pour the mixture on a wooden cutting board, formed a top layer of about 2-3 mm and let cool for about 2 hours. When the mixture is cold and coagulated cut it with a washer and form rectangles (you decide the size). If you prefer the round shape, pour the mixture on the  down of small  saucers.

Now place on the flame a non-stick pan with extra virgin olive oil (3 tablespoons). When the oil is hot, fry the panelle, a few at time so that they don't overlap each other, and remove them after a few minutes, just golden. Place them on a plate lined with paper towels to wipe the excess oil. Bring on the table piping hot and with a dash of lemon. Alternatively you can consume them in a sandwich, accordin the custom of Palermo.


A nice idea and tasty for a appetizer with friends, it can be to prepare mini panelle to serve with a spritz. If, instead, you want to taste the panelle as a secound course I recommend to accompany them with a good fresh white wine, slightly sparkling. If you prefer you can enjoy them while drinking a light beer ora a red, with a more bitter flavor. In additionm the panelle are ideal dish that you can prepare for our celiac friends.

Doses:

- 500 grams/1 lb of chickpea flour
- 1,5 liters of cold water
- chopped fresh parsley
- extra virgin olive oil (3 tablespoons)
- salt (5 tablespoons)
- fresh ground black pepper (2 tablespoons)
- 1 lemon

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Fried sardines ("Sarde allinguate")

Fried sardines , in Sicilian dialect " allinguate " probably because once open and clean take the form of a tongue , are an original dish of the Palermo area that, however, today it is prepared from housewives of the whole island .
Th fundamental ingredient of this recipe are the sardines, strictly fresh, which are very tasty and extremely rich in valuable nutritional  values as the rest of the family of blue fish which they belong. easy to prepare and economic (that never hurts !!!), this dish will catch you for its particular taste, a sort of bittersweet due to the pickling, enclosed in a crisp and very light frying.



First, in a bowl prepare a mixture made of vinegar (2 tablespoons) and water (1 tablespoon), then clean the sardines. Remove the heads, open them in half lengtwise, deprive of thorns and entrails. Wash them carefully and pat dry with paper towels. Now place them in the bowl with the mixture of vinegar and water and let them marinate for about ten minutes. At this point, put on the fire a very large frying pan with oil (4 tablespoons) and let it warm up. Meanwhile, prepare a plate with flour (you can use flour 00 or 0, if you prefer a crispy fried) and floured sardines on both sides. Fry them in the pan over high heat and few at  time, so it does not from overlapping each other. When they are golden brown, remove from pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels, so as to remove excess oil. Season with salt, sqeeze of lemon and serve piping hot.

I suggest you to accompany this dish with a white and sparkling wine.

Doses for 4 people:

- 700 grams/1 lb 8 oz of sardines
- 6/7 tablespoons of flour (00 or 0, if you prefer a crispier fry. I use flour 0)
- 2 glasses of wine vinegar (white wine or red, if, like me, you prefer a intense and more sweet  taste
- 1 glass of water
- 1 lemon
- oil (4 tablespoons)
- salt (1 tablespoon)

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