The Ligurian panissa is a kind of polenta made with chickpea flour, cooled, cut into sticks or cubes, and then fried and served hot in a paper cone along with some good mixed fried food.
The origin of the name “Panissa” (or “Paniccia”) is not entirely certain. An intriguing hypothesis is that it derives from “panicum”, which is panic, a grain (similar to millet) widely used by the less affluent population in ancient times and used for similar preparations. Even though it has been replaced by the more flavorful and nutritious chickpea flour, the name would have remained
The Ligurian panissa is very similar to the Sicilian panelle and is a street food to eat while strolling through the Ligurian streets full of history and tradition.
Today, Panissa is perhaps best known as fried Panissa: it is prepared like a small polenta, cooled until solid, cut into sticks or strips, and fried on the spot, served in a paper cone.
It originated as a hearty but frugal meal from the past but today it is a very tasty street food.
Let’s find out right after the photo, as always, how to prepare the Ligurian panissa!!!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for Ligurian panissa
- 2 cups chickpea flour
- 3 cups water
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pinches salt
- as needed peanut oil (for frying)
Tools
- 1 Non-stick baking pan
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
Preparation of Ligurian panissa
To prepare the Ligurian panissa, mix the lukewarm water with the salt and olive oil and add the chickpea flour.
Mix well to dissolve lumps using a hand whisk until you have a smooth batter.
Transfer the batter to a steel pot and cook over medium heat until it thickens, stirring continuously.
Once ready and thick, pour the mixture into a rectangular baking sheet of 15.75 in, level the surface, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest for at least 2 hours.
Turn the cooled Ligurian panissa block onto a wooden cutting board and cut into strips of approximately 0.5 in by 1.5 in or into bite-sized pieces as you prefer.
Fry a few pieces at a time in peanut oil at 340°F, turning them often to brown on all sides, drain on paper towels, and serve piping hot.
How to store Ligurian panissa
The panissa should be eaten immediately after frying while still very hot, but you can store the mixture in the refrigerator in the baking sheet without cutting, well covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 days before frying.
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