Panelle (Chickpea Fries) with Dipping Sauce

Panelle (in Italy) or Panisse (in France), are "fries" made with the same chickpea flour as farinata, but the preparation is quite different.  They are tasty with any number of dipping sauces including a spicy aioli or a smoky tomato sauce.  For our fries, we made a quick tahini dip with garlic, smoky paprika and red pepper.

You need to plan ahead a bit because the dough must chill for at least one hour before cooking.  If you like to prepare things over the weekend to use later on a busy weeknight, this is a great recipe.  We refrigerated the batter for three days, and the fries were fantastic. 

Chickpea Fries

Ingredients

1      cup              farina
1      tsp               sea salt
1/4   tsp               black pepper
1      tsp               smoky paprika
                            pinch of cayenne pepper
2      Tbs             olive oil
                            vegetable oil for frying
                            

Procedure

1.  Boil 2 cups of water, then add farina, salt, peppers, paprika and olive oil.  Whisk well constantly for about 1 minute.
2. Remove and spread in a 9 x 13" pan or similar, smoothing surface.  Cool at room temperature for about half an hour, then press plastic wrap directly onto dough and refrigerate at least an hour, or up to 3 days.
3. Heat oil for frying (we used our deep fryer) to 375°.  Cut fries into strips, then fry.  When golden brown, remove to paper towels to drain, sprinkling with more sea salt.
4. Serve with dipping sauce of your choice.