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The Sandwich 100 · make it at home

Pane e panelle (Palermo chickpea fritters)

1 hr, plus 1 hr setting · 4 sandwiches (about 24 panelle)

Palermo's street breakfast: thin chickpea-flour fritters, fried until puffed and golden, stuffed into a soft sesame roll with a squeeze of lemon, often with potato croquettes (crocchè).

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You need

• 250 g (2 cups) chickpea flour
• 750 ml (3 cups) cold water
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• Black pepper
• Neutral or olive oil for frying
• 4 soft sesame rolls (mafalda or brioche-style buns)
• Lemon wedges
• Optional crocchè: 500 g floury potatoes, boiled and mashed with 1 tbsp chopped mint, a grating of pecorino, salt; shaped into fingers

How to make it

1. Whisk (5 min): Whisk the chickpea flour into the cold water with the salt until smooth with no lumps.
2. Cook the batter (15 min): Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens like polenta and pulls away from the sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley and pepper.
3. Spread and set (1 hr): Spread it quickly and thinly, about 5 mm (1/4 in), on an oiled baking sheet with a wet spatula. Leave to set 1 hour (or overnight in the fridge).
4. Cut and fry (15 min): Cut into rectangles about 5 x 7 cm (2 x 3 in). Fry a few at a time in 2 cm (3/4 in) hot oil, 180 C (350 F), turning once, until puffed and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Fry the crocchè too, if making, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and salt.
5. Build: Split the rolls, stuff 5 or 6 panelle (and a couple of crocchè) inside, squeeze lemon over generously and eat hot.

Tips

• Spread the batter fast; it sets as it cools.
• Leftover panelle reheat well in a hot oven.

Chef Amazing's own home version, in our words; not any shop's recipe.